Promised Life
by ShadowXenVII
Summary: Post AC. AU, AeriSeph. With a new world comes a new existence, but is peace something an unrepentent mass murderer can accept? Can Sephiroth be selfless, at least once, for her? Read to find out!
1. Flower Fields

**Disclaimer : I don't own Final fantasy VII**

**Author note: This chapter happens in the time of the "special ending" of AC (when Cloud rides his bike and passes Aerith who watches him from a flower field). I'll eventually make it an AeriSeph, trying to create an original one (which is hard, since there's a lot of it…). So enjoy this first chapter and review, heh. By the way, I'm normally speaking French, so I'm practising my English here. Tell me if there's some things I can improve.**

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Some time after Sephiroth's second defeat, Cloud was back to his delivery job, riding his bike since a couple of hours now, his cell phone by his side even if he didn't leave it open. Then, a strange feeling overwhelmed him and he decided stop on the side of the road, neatly parking Fenrir before walking off to a magnificent field of bright yellow flowers. For some reasons, he had felt a familiar presence there…_her_ presence… and couldn't stop himself from reaching to that distant, yet nice feeling.

Then, standing in the middle of the field, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin and dark clothing, he looked around, unable to see anything else than flowers and grass.

"She's not there…" he told himself, lowering his eyes to the ground and letting out a small sigh.

"But still…I can feel her…" he whispered before deciding to take some time off to sit on the ground, looking at the cloudless, sunny blue sky, hoping that maybe…she would show herself to him, grace his lonely day with her radiating appearance.

All around him smelled of flowers, reminding him even more of his one true love, who gave him one last goodbye when he woke up in her church after destroying Sephiroth and his puppets and nearly getting himself killed…

"In fact, I would have died, if not for her…" he reminded himself.

Feeling a wave of sadness drenching his senses, he briefly closed his glowing blue eyes, reminding himself that Aerith didn't want him to let his guilt control him. After all, he was forgiven. He remembered then the way she had smiled at him, saying...

"_You see? Everything's…alright"_.

Seeing her beautiful, flawless face with the eyes of his mind, he allowed himself a slight smile, thinking about how perfect she was, glowing in the shining white light, innocent and caring, juste like he remembered her. But, even if her nice rosy lips were curled up in a comforting smile, the happiness never reached her eyes, betraying the sadness that lingered in the greater depths of her selfless soul.

"She was always like that" Cloud thought, knowing that Aerith faked happiness to comfort others, to make them feel good, while she herself wasn't happy at all.

That time was no different. Her emerald eyes didn't shine with the beauty of her smile, no matter how hard she wanted to show that things were well for everyone…Yes, everything was well…except for her.

"I'd kill Sephiroth a thousand times just to see her eyes shine with true happiness" he thought to himself, knowing that even the painful deaths of that man wouldn't change a thing, for it was already too late.

She was dead, her pure soul and gentle mind had been hurt by that oversized sword…her body had been slain, but the blow reached far beyond that. Shaking his head slightly to get rid of those depressing thoughts, he stared at the sky, feeling the familiar presence approach him, even if his eyes still couldn't see a thing. Then, he felt a small breeze caressing his skin, and a soft whisper reached his ears, like the voice of the wind...

"Don't worry…I'll find my promised land…".

Immediately recognising the voice of the only angel he ever knew, the swordsman smiled and nodded, realising that maybe, she would be able to leave this planet and join the rest of her race, and never feel alone again…

"I hope you'll be happy, then…Aerith…" said Cloud, his voice barely a whisper.

Then, he got up and picked some flowers for Tifa, Marlene and Denzel, ready to go on with his life…and let go of his memories.

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Sitting in the middle of the glowing green swirl that was the Lifestream, Aerith's consciousness slowly left the flower field from which she had been watching Cloud, smiling slightly has she saw him get on his bike and go on with his life.

"I think he'll be able to get over me, now…" she told herself, caught between relief and regret.

Even if she wanted him to be happy, Aerith still couldn't stop herself but regret that he _had_ to forget her. Sighing softly, she let her fingers run along the glowing slime that surrounded her, wishing that the words she told him could be true. In fact, for a reason that went beyond the flower girl's understanding, her wandering mind still hadn't been accepted in the Promised land.

"I'm beginning to wonder if it even exists at all" she thought bitterly.

The more time she spent in the depths of the planet, surrounded by living energy, the more she felt lonely and separated from the rest of the world. After all, as a Cetra, she couldn't melt in the Lifestream like other living things, and had nothing to do but watch over the loved ones she left behind and welcoming to new souls who returned to the planet. Even if she accepted her fate and never regretted her death, Aerith wanted to be free from this world of emptiness.

More often than she liked to admit, she called Zack to spend some time with her, never allowing him to have _his_ own rest. She smiled softly at the thought of him, knowing that if she ever left the planet, he would be one of the things that she'd miss. Being forever separated from his cheerful laugh and glowing eyes, never hearing his silly jokes and enduring his never ending compliments would be strange indeed, now that she was used to it. But, his life had ended, and she had no choice but to accept that and let him fade away…

"I cannot continue like this" she thought, shaking her head sadly.

Then, she got up and raised her gaze upwards, calling out to no one.

"Please, why can't I leave?"

As if she expected someone to answer, the half-Cetra stood still, her hands clenched into fists as she stared into nothingness. Naturally, only the never-ending noises from the Lifestream answered her call, making her feel even more alone and abandoned.


	2. Hope

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Author's note: Well, I decided to try and do something with that fic after all. And also, I've re posted the chapter one, it's now longer and better, for those who have already read it…Now it's official, I'll make this an AU AeriSeph eventually. I know the first chapters may lack a little originality, but I have to make them to get to the point. Please review!**

A while after her last visit to Cloud, Aerith laid on her back, her eyes closed, letting her mind wander around the comforting swirls of the liquid souls surrounding her. Since she had decided that she wouldn't interfere with the lives of her dear friends anymore, she often took time to meditate like this, thinking about nothing but the voices that surrounded her and eased her mind.

How many time had passed since she had decided to stay away from the living world, she couldn't tell. Months? Years? The flower girl didn't have a single clue.

Slowly but surely, her friends were letting her go and didn't even wear their memorial ribbon anymore, even if their hearts and soul would never truly forget her. Their presence was slowly fading away from her, reducing her bonds with the planet even further, leaving her with nothing but painful memories and never ending days of bitter loneliness.

Even so, Aerith was resolved to let them go, just like they did her. She even stopped asking for Zack's presence, or at least, not as often as before, wishing for him to finally melt in the shining swirl of spirit energy. Now, every time she saw him, he was getting more confused, sometimes having a hard time remembering her.

When he looked at her with a confused look on his face, blinking like he just woke up from an endless slumber, she felt her heart break…because soon, she would loose him, too.

Every consciousness was doomed to oblivion, and even she couldn't change that, now matter how hard she wanted to.

"Once they let me go completly, will I be able to disappear, too?" she asked herself, sometimes wishing that her moments of meditation would allow her consciousness to fade once and for all, to sleep eternally in a wave of shining nothingness.

Then, she opened her illusionary eyes, feeling a familiar presence surrounding her softly, washing away her sorrow. She rose into a sitting position and gazed at the slime materialising before her, smiling softly has she recognised the beautiful, dark haired woman that appeared before her.

"Mom?" whispered the flower girl, frowning slightly when noticing the sorrowful expression on her mother's face.

"I'm sorry, Aerith…" said Ifalna, trying to smile slightly to avoid worrying her daughter.

" …For what?"

Aerith rose to her feet and closed the distance that separated her from Ifalna, concern evident on her ethereal features.

"I couldn't help but feel your uneasiness…and…Even if your friends are able to forget you…I'm afraid that the planet still needs you" explained the older woman, shaking her head sadly, her curly brown bangs hanging loosely in front of her unnaturally beautiful face.

"But…why? The world is at peace, and besides, Cloud and the others can take car of things even if I am gone!" replied Aerith indignantly, raising her voice a bit too much for her own tastes.

"It's…him…you see, he's still struggling to escape the Lifestream like he did before. I'm afraid he'll never accept his fate."

Even more angered by those words, Aerith clenched her hands into fists, unable to believe her ears.

"So, he destroyed my life first, and now my afterlife too!"

"Aerith…if he succeeds to get free again, the planet may be in need of your help."

The flower girl didn't bother answering, turning her eyes away to hide the anger that shone in her emerald depths. Struggling to compose herself, she drew an imaginary breath and faced her mother again, looking at her with a new resolve.

"I'm tired of this, mom…I only want to get the rest I deserve, if I can't go with you to the Promised land. I don't want to fight anymore, and even if Sephiroth does go back to the world of the living, he's only going to get killed the second Cloud finds him"

"...Are you sure you want to come with me?" asked Ifalna after a short hesitation.

"Yes" answered the other firmly.

"Fine, then. I'll take you to our land…you can have some time to say goodbye to the ones you love. I'll come back in a day or two"

"Really?" Aerith beamed, a flicker of hope shining in her dark eyes.

Smiling slightly, Ifalna nodded and raised a gentle hand to her daughter's cheek.

" Of course"

"…Thank you"

"No need to thank me, dear…Now, I'll go. Later, then"

"Yes, later, mom"

On that note, Ifalna disappeared from Aerith's sight, leaving her alone once again, swallowing the unbelievable information she had just received.

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Standing near the surface of the earth, settling himself as far as possible from the biggest flows of spirit energy, Sephiroth looked up, feeling as if he could almostfeel the burning of the sun on his pale skin, smell the familiar scent of the grass spreading widely across an endless plain.

But, he was intelligent enough to know that those sensations were now nothing more than a figment of his own imagination, fuelled by his never ending desire to reach the ground again and feel the hard dirt beneath his heavy leather boots.

Even if he knew that the lasts of Jenova had most likely been destroyed during his last attempt to harm the planet, Sephiroth still searched for a way out, never tiring of seeking any hole in the shell of the world that would allow him to be free again. There was no way he'd ever become a mere memory, and his strong will would make sure of that, even if he had to die a thousand times.

Then, he heard a faint, female voice speaking in the distance and looked behind him, raising an eyebrow as he saw a small woman in pink, the very same one he had killed all those years ago and still found a way to stop his grandiose plans.

She was talking with a tall, well built man with dark hair, a man Sephiroth himself once saw as something near to a friend. Narrowing his eyes, he decided to let himself fade slightly, allowing his own spirit energy to approach them enough to hear their private conversation without being noticed, curious to get any information that might be useful to him and his plans.

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After a couple of hours wondering whether she should pay Cloud and company a visit, Aerith decided that she didn't need to, for she had already said her farewells to them more than once.

"I'll spend the last of my time here in Zack's presence, since I never told him goodbye already" she told herself, immediately concentrating on her old memories to awaken her first love's consciousness.

Then, a swirl of spirit energy gathered itself in front of her, drawing a tiny smile on her pink lips as Zack appeared, confusion spreading across his features as usual. Looking at her with tired eyes, he blinked twice, trying to collect his scattered thoughts.

"…Aerith?" he recognised after a few moments, the confusion finally leaving his handsome face to be replaced by joyful amusement.

"Hi, Zack" she greeted him, unable to help herself but to smile happily, her mood being significantly lifted by his friendly figure.

"Still lonely, huh? Will you let me rest someday?" he said jokingly, grinning widely.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that anymore. I…will leave to the Promised land soon…"

"Really?" he said, his humorous smile being replaced by a slight frown.

Aerith looked away, biting her lower lip nervously.

"This is going to be harder than I thought…" she told herself, trying to fight back the sorrow slowly making it's way through her.

As if sensing her trouble, Zack put a gentle hand on her shoulder, a comforting smile spreading on his lips.

"I guess this was going to happen one day or another" he said softly.

"Yes, I know and, well, I'm happy to finally be able to move on" she replied, raising her eyes to meet his dark blue ones.

"Yeah, I was wondering why you didn't leave sooner. I mean, you're obviously bored here"

Aerith giggle a little, watching him scratch the back of his head nervously like he often did when she was still dating him.

"Well, I didn't leave, because I simply couldn't"

"I guess, but aren't you a Cetra? You're supposed to go to the Promised land, no?" he asked, visibly confused.

"Yes, I am, but the path leading to our land can only be opened by a Cetra who's already living there. The ones who just died cannot reach it unless one of our kind opens it for them." Explained the flower girl, intertwining her delicate fingers behind her back.

"That makes sense, but how can they know if someone wants to reach it?" asked the dark haired man, visibly interested.

"We can contact the people we love through memories. My mother sensed me and reacted to my thoughts…But she didn't do anything sooner because…I guess she was afraid for the future of this planet"

"I see, well if it weren't for you, no one would have been able to get rid of that annoying stigma…We oh so need your nice and attractive presence here!" said Zack, grinning mischievously.

"Zack…" sighed the young woman, trying to look exasperated.

"Sorry…hum, well, you said people could contact you through their memories…Can I reach you, too, if I want? When you'll be gone?"

"Hum…maybe…I don't really know…But humans can't go there, that's for sure! Maybe I'll feel it if you think about me…but once I'll be gone…you'll fade away…" answered Aerith, putting a finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I'll try and see! And not even the Lifestream can truly destroy my strong consciousness!" decided Zack cheerfully.

Once again, the flower girl couldn't help but giggle at her friend's comment, totally oblivious to the fact that they were being closely watched.

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Interested to hear any piece of information that the flower girl was giving away, Sephiroth stayed by their side, even when Ifalna finally showed up, ready to take her daughter away from her birth planet.

"It's time, dear" said the older Cetra, smiling softly.

"…I know"

Feeling an uncomfortable wave of sorrow and nervousness flow into her, Aerith looked in her friend's eyes, taking his much larger hands in her tiny ones.

"I'll miss you terribly, Zack…" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

"Not as much as I…"

Overwhelmed by the terrible realisation that they would truly never see each other again, their eyes stayed painfully locked together, both unable to voice their feelings.

Then, deciding that actions told more than words, Zackstepped forward to hugher tightly and closed his sad eyes, wishing more than anything that he could have a real body to feel her skin beneath his fingers, smell her slightly curled hair like he did all those years ago.

Their embrace lasted several long moments before Aerith pulled away first, a little too soon for the man's tastes.

"Farewell, Zack. Think of me, will you?"

"You can count on that!"

Aerith giggled sadly, forcing herself away from him to face her mother with a determined look on her face.

"Let's go"

Nodding slightly, Iflana took her daughter's hand in her own and opened a dark, illusionary path that would lead them to a whole new world. Taking a step forward, Aerith turned to look one last time at her first love, smiling to encourage both him and herself.

"Bye…my love" he said, waving once and returning her smile.

Then, the flower girl took a few steps ahead and disappeared with her mother, leaving Zack alone in the middle of the sea of souls. Not wanting to fade back into nothingness so soon, he lowered his eyes to the ground, standing perfectly still.

"She's gone …she really is…" he thought sadly before resigning himself to his inevitable fate.

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As soon as Aerith disappeared from sight, Sephiroth got as far away as he could from the masses of swirling consciousness, trying his best to reject the unwanted thoughts infecting his strong mind.

He truly hated when he had to mingle himself in the confusing green flow, but sometimes it just couldn't be helped. Struggling to gather his thoughts, he closed his eyes firmly, remembering his life like it should be remembered, chasing away the memories that belonged to another.

Even he had to admit that existing in the Lifestream was almost impossible, but nobody ever had a mind and will as strong as his.

"Thatpink girl could wander the massive swirls without any problem but…she was a Cetra." Sephiroth thought bitterly.

After being killed almost three times, Sephiroth was smart enough to comprehend that he wasn't one at all. But, even knowing the truth about Jenova and the Ancients, he still struggled to become the ultimate ruler of the damned planet, rightful heir or not.

Once Sephiroth got rid of the annoying confusion that clouded his mind, he thought about the information the Cetra unwillingly gave him, a satisfied smirk crossing his lips. For a long time, he wanted to reach the Promised land, thinking he was a true Ancient, but being something else completly, heobviously never got his wish.

"Now, that bit of information may be something toreflect about" he thought, pushing his plan to search for a way to escape the Lifestream in the back of his mind...for now.


	3. A new land

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own FF7, Kingdom hearts, or Xenosaga.**

**Author's note: Thanks to the people who have reviewed (there's not much already but, well…). So, Aerith finally finds herself in the Promised land. The name "Radiant Garden" is indeed inspired by Kingdom hearts, but the crossover (If you wish to call it that…) doesn't go father than the name. I just thought it fitted for such a location…and maybe add a little credibility, lol. Finally, I introduce some OC characters here, and be aware that _italics_ means it happened in the past. Also, the idea of "a higher plane of existence" was inspired by the marvellous Xenosaga, but it's NOT a crossover. So, please review!**

Slowly awakening from a foggy, deep slumber, Aerith turned under the light, fresh covers, hugging her pillow tightly with one hand, burying her face deeper in it's delightful softness, smiling in her half conscious state, breathing deeply, filling her lungs with nice, slightly perfumed air, her green eyes still hidden beneath her heavy eyelids.

Felling the freshness of the mattress under her sleepy form, Aerith sighed contentedly, curling herself into a comfortable little ball, her loose, curly hair spread behind her like a wave of chestnut silk.

Vaguely aware of anything else but the overwhelming peace that flowed all over her slim form, the flower girl finally opened her emeralds orbs slowly, blinking twice as the bright, appealing light of the sun pierced in her unadjusted gaze.

Once her eyes got used to the brightness around her, they suddenly widened in surprise as she remembered her travel to the Promised land…and realised how strikingly real her surroundings felt like.

"What?" she thought, utterly confused as she raised to a sitting position, allowing herself to look around the small room she was in.

Chasing away a few bangs of hair hanging in front of her now fully awakened face, Aerith raised an eyebrow as her eyes scanned the area. She was sitting on a simple bed covered in silky white blankets, in the corner of a small, white room. On the wall next to her was a huge window left fully open, the wind blowing softly against the sky blue curtains surrounding it.

Unable to believe any of her senses, Aerith lifted both her hands in front of her, staring at them as if she had never seen them before.

"Oh, dear planet…" the flower girl thought, realising that there was no mistaking the sweet smell of the slightly chilly air that flowed through her lungs, nor the fine hair that tickled her face as the wind blew inside the room.

"I…am…physically alive?" she wondered to herself, hugging the covers tightly against her knees as she brought them to her chest protectively.

"…How?". Wishing to answer her own question, Aerith remembered walking with her mother across a seemingly endless, grey tunnel, feeling an unknown force tear at her mind, giving her the imaginary equivalent of a bad headache.

"…_I…don't feel good…" she told her mother, putting a hand to her forehead._

"_Hm…I thought this could happen…" answered Ifalna, no trace of worry tainting her voice. _

"_I feel like my head is going to explode"_

"_The force fields of this place act as a manner of protection against unwanted intruders"_

"_What? Hey, why is it tearing at me, then?" complained Aerith indignantly. _

"_You're half human" was Ifalna's only answer, said in a tone that showed it was supposed to be obvious. _

Then, after a painfully long walk, they reached the end of the path and stepped through the dark, round portal…and that was the last thing Aerith could remember.

"Did I get to the Cetra land?" Aerith asked herself out loud, finally deciding to get off the bed.

Slowly getting to her feet, she delightfully curled her toes, feeling the soft, peach carpet beneath her nude, sensitive skin. Wearing a small white camisole with pink flowers printed on it and a long, light pink skirt, Aerith exited the unknown house, her mouth opening with awe as she got outside and saw the huge, breathtaking city she was in.

Next to the small property she just left, stood an enormous garden of fully bloomed, multicoloured flowers. A few miles behind it was a sparkling waterfall flowing in a clear blue lake surrounded by dark blue rocks. The small roads crossing the city were made of pure, white marble shining unnaturally under the burning sun.

Never in her entire existence did the flower girl witness such beauty, holding her breath as her hungry eyes took on the scenery. Then, a cheerful, female voice resonated from the garden, destroying Aerith's blissful amazement.

"You're awake!"

Surprised, Aerith lifted her eyes to see a small, lean girl standing in the doorway, a huge, friendly smile shining upon her nice, young face.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Kitakaze" answered the new girl, crossing the distance separating them.

"Well, okay, Kitakaze…It's nice to meet you, but…Can you tell me where I am?" asked Aerith, in a confused tone, putting a hand to her hips.

"You are in one of the most important cities of the Promised land, Radiant Garden. My- hm, Ifalna lives here. She asked me to take you to her once you awakened" explained the new girl.

Aerith stayed silent, swallowing the information she had been given.

"Well, shall we go?" asked Kitakaze, breaking the uneasy silence.

"Yes"

"Good! Follow me"

Impatient to get the answers she seeks, Aerith nodded and did as she was told, her eyes wandering around the beautiful city as Kitakaze lead her along one of the marble paths. Feeling the softness of the expensive material beneath her feet, Aerith couldn't help but smile, amazed by all the sensations making her feel more alive than ever.

"I never thought that being able to feel again would be so…wonderful" she thought, enjoying every single breath.

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Meanwhile, in the Lifestream, Sephiroth was quite pleased, for he was already thinking a marvellous plan. But, his mind was filled with hesitation as he wondered if he should go on with it or just continue to try and escape the green swirls of life. In a way, his new plan was, indeed, new, so it wasn't without risks and challenges.

The old one would be getting, indeed, old if he just failed again, and even if Sephiroth hated to admit it…that would most likely happen.

"But this time…she wouldn't be there to help Cloud" he thought, weighing the pros and cons.

Looking at the masses of consciousness swirling below him, Sephiroth knew that he would have to make a decision quickly to avoid loosing himself.

"I would most likely be able to carry out my new plan before I even find a hole in the planet's shell…And if it is not conclusive, I can always come back to destroy Cloud" he concluded, smirking as he finally decided what to do.

Then, readying his own mind for the overwhelming mingling he would have to face, the silver haired man reached the massive swirls, hardening his will.

"I'll just have to find him, now…since I share some memories with the man, it should not take too long…" he told himself, walking in the shining slime, concentrating his mind on the memories of the person he seeks.

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Sitting in the kitchen of her mother's house, Aerith stayed silent as Ifalna took a seat in front of her, a friendly smile shining upon her face. Kitakaze was sitting next to Aerith, her eyes sparkling with something resembling nervous admiration.

"I'm glad to see that you're well" begun Ifalna.

"Thank you, but I would be better if I wasn't so confused right now"

"I guess... So, you want to know what happened since we passed the portal leading here?"

"Yes, of course. And why…does everyone here…exists physically?"

"Well, every consciousness that enter our world is brought to a higher plane of existence. The abundant life of this world recreates the body of anyone who wishes it…and, you can say that it's kind of like…a new birth" explained Ifalna.

"So, we are dead, but we are not, that's what you mean?" understood Aerith, her voice betraying her slight confusion.

"In a sense, yes. It's a new chance at life…That's why you can't remember what happened once you crossed the portal. Your wind was forcefully shut in order to bring you to this new dimension"

Letting the information sink in, a slight smile slowly spread across the flower girl's face as she realised how much the Promised land was even better than everything she could have imagined. Then, guessing that her daughter had all the awswers she wanted, Ifalna rose to her feet.

"Do you want me to show you around? We can take a walk into town…once you put on some shoes, of course"

"I would love it! But…I kinda liked walking barefoot…"

Amused, Ifalna let our a short, soft laugh.

"We'll visit the governors today. You can't show yourself to them with nude, dirty feet"

"I guess" admitted Aerith, giggling softly as her mother went to get her a pair of pink sandals.

Telling herself that she at least recognised her style in her new clothes, the half-Cetra accepted the offering and dressed her already dirty feet.

Once she was ready, Ifalna took her daughter by the hand, leading her outside as Kitakaze shyly followed behind, her eyes rarely leaving the slender form of Aerith.

After some time, they reached the waterfall and Aerith happily kneeled by the lake, looking at her own image reflecting in the clear water.

"I'm…exactly the same…" she thought, still getting used to the fact that she had a body.

Then, she raised an eyebrow as she saw bright, green liquid mingled in the fresh water, immediately recognising it.

"Hey, mom" Aerith asked, slightly worried.

"What is it?"

Ifalna gracefully kneeled by her daughter's side as Aerith pointed the green flow accusingly.

"Oh, that…yes it's the Lifestream" guessed the older woman.

"But…it's right in the water! Isn't that dangerous? What about Mako poisoning?" exclaimed the other, looking at her mother expectantly.

"Dear…there's no such thing as that here. Our land is overflowing with spirit energy…it mingles in everything…food, water…"

"…Ah?" wondered Aerith, not swallowing anything.

"Haven't you noticed that I haven't aged since the time I died? Instead of poisoning, the Lifestream here acts as a spell that keeps our bodies young"

Looking at Ifalna with round, surprised eyes, the flower girl stayed silent, wondering if she would ever be able to get used to that overly new world.

"How do we die, then?" asked Aerith after a moment.

"We can die of injury, or sickness…and, well…we can if we really want to. You know, living forever is not something that pleases everyone"

"…I see. Well. I can understand that. So…do we continue our visit?"

"Yes, if you're ready"

Gracefully getting to their feet, the two women went to pursue their tour around town, once again followed by Kitakaze. Feeling the other girl's gaze on her back, Aerith began to wonder why she seemed to see her as some kind of star, or someone she had waited to meet for a long time.

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Finally finding the man he was looking for, Sephiroth allowed himself a short, satisfied smirk as he reflected about his plan.

"Connected by memories, hm? …We'll see about that".

Well aware of the risks and ready to face them, the silver haired man let himself mingle with the liquid thoughts of the only man that ever got close to being his friend, immediately overwhelmed by the dearest memories of the black haired man.

Carefully making sure not to destroy his own mind, Sephiroth felt the memories of Zack intertwining with his own, giving him feelings that belonged to another. Obviously, some of the most precious ones involved a certain pink clad girl.

"As soon as things get dangerous…I'm leaving the stream" he thought as he began the first stage of his plan.

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By the end of the afternoon, Aerith and her two companions reached the biggest building in the city, a great, white palace in which the governors of Radiant Garden lived. While Aerith looked at the castle with eyes wide, Ifalna pushed the big, crystal double doors and entered, followed by the two girls.

"We are expected. Follow me to the audience chamber" said Ifalna, leading the younger Cetras to a wooden door, gently knocking on it.

A few seconds followed before a young man in his mid-twenties opened the door, a friendly smile spreading on his lips as he laid his aqua eyes on them. Then, his gaze went to Aerith and he approached her, offering his graceful hand to her.

Accepting the gesture, Aerith forced herself not to blush as she felt his soft, warm fingers closing around her delicate hand while he gently shook it.

"You must be Aerith. My name is Tenzen, I am one of the representatives of the city"

"…Nice to meet you" replied the flower girl, trying her best to look straight at his unnaturally handsome face without blushing madly.

Then, they entered the wide room and found themselves in front of huge, circular reunion table surrounded by several important people. In the middle of them was a man in his forties, sitting on a big, well decorated and comfortable looking chair.

"He must be the leader" guessed Aerith, wondering why they brought her there in the first place.

Tenzen made the presentations, and Aerith tried her best to memorise the names of everyone, as her mind was already filled with new surroundings, faces and situations. Once the presentations were over, the rich-looking chief named Williem spoke to Aerith, his voice neutral.

"Everyone new in this town is brought here to make them familiar with the new environment, and people"

"I see"

"So, Aerith, we hope you'll like Radiant Garden. Of course, there are other cities in this land, and you may move to one of them if you like. For now at least, the house in which you woke up this morning is vacant. You can have it."

Surprised, the half-Cetra smiled happily, slightly bowing as she thanked Williem for his kindness.

"It is only natural. After all…we all know what you did for your homeland. Tenzen, show the young lady around the castle, will you?"

"Yes, sir"

On that note, Tenzen motioned Aerith to follow him and they left the room after properly saluting everyone. While he was showing her around, Aerith had to make a certain effort to get her attention on anything else than his tall, lean profile and charming, sky blue eyes.

When the darkness of the evening slowly spread across the cloudless sky, the tour was finally over and Tenzen accompanied the three women to Ifalna's house. Then, stopping in front of the door, the man turned to Aerith.

"…I heard that you didn't have a proper education concerning your Cetra powers. If you want, I can come to your new home tomorrow and show you some skills" he proposed, looking straight in Aerith's emerald pools.

"Yes, that would be nice" she accepted happily, trying to hide her shame for being almost ignorant of her Cetra abilities.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then"

Aerith nodded and saluted him with a wave of her hand as he nonchalantly went back to the castle. Then, Ifalna put a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder, attracting her attention.

"I have a meal ready for everyone, so I would like to join me for supper. Also...I would like to talk to you about some…important things, after we eat" the older woman said, carefully choosing her words.

Wondering what her mother could possibly mean, Aerith nodded and followed her inside the small, neat house, trying to clear her mind of all the confusing things she had learned in only one day, wondering how much more awaited her.

**A/N: I hope my English wasn't too bad? I don't think so, but we never know! I sometimes have a hard time with the descriptions because I'm a foreigner, so if I don't describe enough, tell me, I'll try to get better! Well, I hope you enjoyed it.**


	4. Confused dreams

**Again, I don't own anything.**

**A/N: Another chapter where Aerith learns about new people and stuff in the promised land, but don't worry, Seph will make his appearance soon, but some things need to be put in place first. This chapter will be longer than the first ones, so they will probably meet in the next one.**

After a long evening spent at Ifalna's house, talking with her mother for a long time after supper, Aerith laid in her new bed, unable to sleep as a whirlwind of thoughts constantly crossed her sleepy mind, not allowing her any little bit of slumber. She couldn't stop replaying the last hours in her mind, wondering what she would make of her new life.

While herself, Ifalna and Kitakaze were ready to eat their meal, a man seemingly in his thirties entered the house and took a seat near Ifalna, getting questioning glances from Aerith. Then, the flower girl learned that this good looking, brown haired man named Alex was her mother's new husband…and the father of Kitakaze. Suddenly, she had a sister and a step-father.

"I understand now why she seemed so…amazed to have finally met me…" Aerith thought, smiling softly has she reflected about the nice conversations they would most likely have in the next few weeks.

When she told her first daughter about her new life, Ifalna was playing with a lock of her long, dark hair, nervously hoping that Aerith wouldn't take it too badly. But, to everyone's reassurance, the half-Cetra had taken the news happily, finally having a sister to talk with and someone to call her father. Besides, who was she to object about her mother's life? She had no right to be unhappy for her.

Turning on her back and facing the white, flawless ceiling, Aerith sighed with contentment as she remembered the conversation she had, alone with her mother. Ifalna had told her how much she was happy to finally have her by her side and be able to get to know her, to old her precious daughter like every mother should. Finally, they would have the chance to get to know each other.

Wishing that morning would come soon to bless her with a new day among her loved ones, the half-Cetra rolled on her side and closed her heavy eyelids, a tiny smile playing upon her pink lips. Then, she felt something tug at her mind and frowned, feeling as if a faraway presence tried to come in contact with her own consciousness.

This feeling made her remember Zack's words, the smile returning to her lips as she felt a new wave of happiness.

_"Can I contact you, if I want?"_ he told her before she left the Lifestream, his blue eyes glowing as he spoke.

"Wow, you're not loosing any time, Zack" Aerith whispered, wondering if her distant interlocutor could hear her words.

Concentrating on the faint feeling her friend's mind was giving her, Aerith slowly let her consciousness drift off to sleep, wishing goodnight to anyone who could hear her.

--------------

Feeling the Cetra's mind disconnect from Zack's, Sephiroth forcefully threw himself out of the swirling masses, knowing that it was about time he decided to break his connection with the liquid souls surrounding him, pulling him under and trying to peer at his consciousness. This procedure had been dangerous like he previously thought, but at least, he got a slight result. After vainly trying for hours to get inside Aerith's mind, Sephiroth noticed that her consciousness was only available once she was entirely alone.

"Knowing that, I'll be more efficient next time" he thought, still struggling to get his mind back into place.

Once the silver haired man got a hold of his own soul, he thought about the memories he witnessed, remembering the time when Zack and himself were in SOLDIERS. It wasn't a secret for anyone that Zack was a real ladies man, and Sephiroth had a hard time believing him when he said that he actually cared for someone. Now he knew that special person was nobody else than the half-Cetra herself, and even she never thought he was serious about her.

Feeling a cold shiver run up his imaginary spine, Sephiroth wished that he wouldn't have to watch all those crappy, romantic memories, but sometimes patience and endurance were worth the annoyance. But, he could understand how someone like Zack got attracted to a girl like her.

Even if she was the one who destroyed his own plans in the first place and kept in the way even after her death, if not more, he felt something close to respect for that little slip of a woman. He was the kind of man who knew how to recognise a powerful person, mentally or physically. So, he was aware since a long time that the strength of mind Aerith possessed rivalled his own, largely compensating for the weakness of her frail body.

But, Cloud was another story. In fact, being beaten in a sword fight by such a blond, chocobo-head was enough to sting at someone's ego. No, Sephiroth certainly couldn't respect a man such as Cloud, a weak puppet using the strength of his dear memories to destroy his enemies.

Getting annoyed at himself, Sephiroth shoved away his train of thoughts, busying himself by searching a way back to the planet. "The plan that works out first will be carried out" he decided, not wanting to loose any time.

---------------

The next morning, Aerith awoke at the sound of a cheerful voice, recognising the everlasting energy of Kitakaze.

"Wake up, sis!"

An amused smile playing on her lips as she heard someone call her "sis" for the first time in her life, Aerith rose to a sitting position and laid her sleepy gaze on Kitakaze. The young teen was wearing black pants with a dark purple shirt, her long, dark brown hair falling on her shoulders like a silky wave as her golden brown eyes reflected the bright light of the sun spreading through the window. Contrarily to Aerith, she didn't look like Ifalna at all.

"Good morning, Kitakaze" answered the sleepy flower girl, not quite used enough to the news to call her "sister" yet.

"Morning. Tenzen came to Ifalna's house a couple of minutes ago. He said that he knocked to your front door but you never woke up and didn't want to bother you, so he asked me to tell you to meet him at his weapon shop" explained the younger girl.

"He's got…a shop?"

"Yes, and a good one at that. He makes all the weapons there"

"I see…" replied Aerith, a little deceived to learn that even in a land as wonderful as this one, they still needed something to defend themselves.

"Get ready and I'll show you where it is" proposed Kitakaze, exiting the room to allow Aerith some privacy.

Once the door closed behind her sister's back, Aerith sighed softly, realising that she didn't have any clothes besides the ones she had found herself in the last morning. For the night, Ifalna had lent her a night-gown, but now she had no choice but to put her dirty clothes on. "I'll definitely need to go shopping today…" she thought while dressing herself.

A couple of hours later, when the sun was about to give it's radiant place to the shining moon, Aerith kneeled by the waterfall, tired after another long, busy day. She had now a new set of clothes, paid by both Ifalna and Tenzen, even if she didn't want them to pay for her, she knew that she had no other choice, since she didn't have any money. So, in order to repay them, she decided to work at Tenzen's weapon shop to make a living.

Smiling softly as she smelled the sweet scent of the clear water, she looked at her brand new staff. Never asking anything in return, Tenzen had given it to her, saying it was a powerful weapon radiating with Cetra energy. Indeed, Aerith could feel it's power glowing within her skin and reaching deep in her veins just by touching it. Just like Kitakaze had told her, Tenzen was really good at his job.

The only shadow in her bright day was the fact that, surrounded by full blooded Cetras, she sometimes felt like she didn't belong with them, being the only hybrid.

"Back in my homeland, I was the last Cetra, different from everyone else. I thought, back then, that I would feel less lonely if I could be with another of my kind…but…now I'm just an half-human among them" she told herself bitterly, knowing that there was no way to escape the feeling of loneliness that always lingered in the depths of her scarred heart.

That night, Aerith slept peacefully in the depths of her warm bed, her calm face heavily buried within the softness of her pillow. Once again, she had felt Zack's presence tug at her mind before falling asleep, amazed at how easily he got to contact her, even if she couldn't hear him or feel anything more than a faint, familiar presence.

Then, while her mind wandered in the world of blissful dreams, she found herself in a white, endless place that seemed to have no walls, no floor no ceiling, face to face with the dark haired man that teased her consciousness.

"…Zack?" she whispered, unsure of herself, knowing that she was dreaming but feeling that everything was incredibly real.

"Yes, that's me. I told you I would try to contact you, did I not?" he asked, his voice almost neutral.

Aerith frowned, finding that to be incredibly out of character for a man like him, but decided to say nothing about it. Then, her lost friend crossed the distance separating them, smiling softly as he gently put his arm around her shoulder, his face getting closer to her own.

"I already miss you, love" he whispered in her ear, letting his warm breath caress her neck.

"Zack…" Aerith sighed, wondering where he was going with that.

Noticing her uneasiness, Zack pulled away slightly to allow her some personal space.

"How is the Promised land?" he asked in a friendly tone, hoping to disperse the sudden tension surrounding them.

"Well…it's really nice here…Everyone exists physically, even if we died once…I met a lot of friendly people and…I even have a sister" said the flower girl, her eyes shining with dreamy happiness.

"Hm…so you have a body, then" added Zack, his voice thoughtful and deep, attracting another frown from his pink clad friend.

"Zack? Are you sure you're okay? I mean…you seem a little…strange" she said, worry tainting her soft voice.

"Well, I am in the Lifestream after all…there's a lot of people mingling with me…you can't expect me to be exactly the same, I guess" replied the young man, scratching his head nervously.

Recognising the old gesture characterising her friend, Aerith giggled softly.

"Yes, you're right. I'm not there to wake you up, after all"

Zack nodded, then took the opportunity to talk about his main point.

"Even now, I don't want to fade…because I want to be with you" he said, letting his gloved hand carefully slid around her slim waist.

"Zack, please, you have to let go!" pleaded Aerith, wishing for her friend to finally rest in peace.

"Yeah, maybe I will…but not before I try something out"

Intrigued, Aerith raised an eyebrow and looked in his bewitching, glowing orbs, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you think…I would be able to join you? It's worth trying, is it not? After all, I was able to contact you" he whispered, pulling her into a soft embrace, confident after noticing that she didn't pull his hand away.

Surprised by his forwardness, Aerith stayed still, realising that his arms felt warm and comfortable, not wanting to pull away from his grasp.

"I…don't think so" she answered uncertainly, knowing that, in the bottom of her heart, any link with her past life would be welcomed in her overly new, confusing world. Of all things, a familiar face would be something she surely wouldn't reject.

"Really? Have you asked someone?"

"…No"

"See? Maybe there's a way, and you just don't know about it" he insisted.

Aerith stayed silent for a moment, feeling her human side long to get back at Zack's side and reach her old planet again, while her Cetra part wanted to run away from that strange dream and wake up in her bed, safe in the wonderfulness of the Promised land. Then, her mouth spoke before she even had the time to notice it.

"I miss you too"

"…I know…together, we'll find a way, okay?" he said soothingly, looking deep in her emerald eyes.

"Yes"

Then, Zack smiled softly as his image began to fade away from her, his consciousness leaving her tiny grasp as she slowly woke up, getting to a sitting position as soon as her eyelids fluttered open. Wiping away a few beads of sweat from her forehead, Aerith struggled to steady her breath as she felt a painful pressure on her chest, feeling as if her heart was torn between her new reality and her old planet.

An overwhelming mass of contradictory thoughts crossed her confused mind as she noticed the battle raging between her two sides, tearing her mind and body apart. Her human side longing to return to the Lifestream, Aerith had to stop herself from getting out of bed and reaching for the path leading back in Gaia. Not that she knew where it was, of course, but she felt as if she could search for it and never give up until she finally found the way back. If there was a way back, that is.

"There's nothing for me there. Not anymore" she told herself firmly, forcing her thoughts back to reality.

"It was only a dream" she added, almost convincing herself…Almost.

---------------

Leaving Zack's mind once again, Sephiroth was quite pleased at the results of his new tentative. The girl was no fool, she had some doubts when seeing that Zack wasn't quite himself. But, he had indeed succeeded in confusing her, reaching to her human side and painfully teasing it, feeling it's overwhelming need to get closer to him.

Now, he was quite certain that the next time he contacted her, she would have some answers to his questions and be even easier to manipulate. For now, knowing that dead people could have their bodies recreated when entering that sacred place was a pleasant thing to know, for it was certainly better than being stuck as spiritual bodies, like he did when he last escaped the Lifestream.

"This is going to be interesting…" he decided, already planning his next attempt to reach the half-Cetra.

--------------

The next morning, Aerith got dressed and joined Kitakaze to the garden near the waterfall, since they had decided to eat breakfast at Ifalna's house before Aerith began her first day of work at the shop.

"Did you sleep well?" asked her sister cheerfully.

"Yes, and you?" lied Aerith, still feeling a little strange after having such an overwhelming dream.

"Like a baby!"

"Good" said Aerith, once again feeling something tug at her mind, forcing her to turn around, her gaze wandering to a huge forest some miles away from the back of her house.

Standing perfectly still, she kept her eyes locked at the big green trees as if she wanted to pierce their abundant foliage with her unwavering gaze. Then, a gentle hand found it's way on her shoulder, forcing her back from her trance like state.

"Huh?" she mumbled, turning to look at Kitakaze's worried eyes.

"Are you alright? You seem to be quite distracted…"

"Oh, of course, I'm fine. Shall we go?" answered Aerith, using all of her strength of will not to turn around and face the strange forest once again.

Not buying anything, her sister raised an eyebrow at her, but decided to remain silent, not wanting to annoy her sister with insistent questions.

After breakfast, the two Cetras went to a small fountain ands sat on a public bench, far away from the ears and looks of the other people in town. Since the flower girl had some time to spare before going to work, she had decided to have a private talk with her friendly, younger sister.

"Say, Kitakaze, were you born here? I mean…you obviously didn't die…" Aerith asked, visibly intrigued.

"Yes, of course I was born here. There's a lot of people like that"

"_Great, first I was an hybrid, now I'm an alien" _The half-Cetra thought bitterly, sighing softly as she lowered her eyes to the ground.

Noticing the change in her sister's behaviour, Kitakaze put a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"I know what you're thinking, but don't. Nobody thinks about you that way…especially not me. Ifalna…often talked about you and…I wanted to meet you so badly…"

Smiling softly, Aerith raised her emerald gaze to her sister's eyes, her mood slightly lifted.

"…When I learned that you died…nobody wanted to give me the details, of course, but…I felt like a part of myself was torn away…And I know that I would never have been able to sacrifice myself like that. So…nobody has the right to see you as an outcast"

Those words making her feel as if a great weigh had been lifted from her shoulders, Aerith hugged her sister tightly, feeling as if after all, she finally found a place where she truly belonged. Then, Aerith couldn't help but to think about Zack, wishing he could be there with her.

"Do you think humans could get here, if they really wanted to?" she asked after a moment's reflection.

"…Well…everyone wants to say that it's impossible but…I know…it's not. Someone with a really strong mind would be able to cross the path if somebody here opens it for them…I'm not supposed to tell you this, though…"

Aerith stayed silent, her eyes staring blankly in the distance as if her mind was gone to a place where nobody else could reach her. Then, she turned to face her sister again, a strange expression of longing set upon her features.

"Is there a way back? …Once we get here?"

Her sister's eyes widened in surprise at the question, but she quickly composed herself and answered uneasily.

"…Well…yes, there is… But, why? You don't want to leave us…do you?"

"No, of course not…"

"I hope so…because I would be happy to get to know you"

"So do I…"

"Good, then! …Of, it's almost time…" said Kitakaxe, looking at her watch.

Aerith nodded her understanding, then rose to her feet, ready to go to Tenzen's shop.

"I really need to forget that dream" she told herself firmly as she saluted her sister and went her own way, clutching her staff tightly in her right hand.

**A/N: So, I hope you liked it. Please review!**


	5. Memories

…**Don't own anything.**

**A/N: It took me a while to update, but now that my creativity is back (thanks to my reviewers: Foi and Dreaming Rain), I've motivated myself to write faster. The events should start to come together now, I'll try to keep everyone as IC as possible. Please note that the _italics_ means it happened in the past, so if there's no italics in the middle of a past description, it is because it happens while she remembers. I hope it won't be too confusing…but then again, it's supposed to be (lol). And don't be afraid of Tenzen, I know where I'm going with him! And concerning Kitakaze's abilities, let's just say that it's inspired of the fact that her name means "northern wind" in Japanese.**

A few days passed by, and Aerith started to enjoy her job at the weapon shop, particularly because of the training lessons that Tenzen gave her each evening after closing the doors. Not to mention that she had taken quite a liking to him after spending so much time in his presence.

Every day, she learned new spells and techniques that she didn't even know existed and was amazed at her own unknown strength. Of course, her new, magical staff helped a lot at that. Now, sitting near the waterfall, her back against a big, flat rock, she only regretted that none of her lost friends were there to see her improvements. She also wondered why Zack hasn't communicated with her since the weird dream she had some time ago.

"Maybe…he faded?" she thought, silently hoping that it wasn't the case.

Sighing softly, she raised her emerald eyes to the bright, blue sky, listening to the sound of the water flowing freely next to her, remembering a day when Zack had tried to show her how to defend herself properly.

_Standing next to her flowerbed, in the middle of her old church, Aerith held her rusty, cheap staff in front of her small frame, frowning as she wondered what Zack meant by "holding it properly". _

"_Like that? She asked, confused. _

"_No…" answered the swordsman, shaking his head slightly as he wondered how he was going to make her understand. _

_Then, an idea crossed his mind and he crossed the distance separating them to stand before her, placing his hands on each side of the weapon, just like it should be. _

"_You have to understand by yourself. So…find my hands with yours"_

"Find…me"

_"Ok…" _

_Aerith then let her small hands slide along the cold metal to meet his own, fighting against the blush that rose to her cheeks. _

"Come to me" 

"…What?"

_Smiling softly, Zack removed his hands from the weapon and went behind her, holding her tightly before whispering in her ear:_

"_See? You can do it"_

"Can you reach me?"

_"Yes…" _

"Good…Now…can I get to you?"

"…Huh?"

"If so… I want you to show it to me…lead me, to you"

"…Alright"

------------------

"Aerith! Aerith, please! Wake up"

"…Hmm?"

Lost in the shadows of a deep slumber, the half-Cetra frowned, wondering why she was so uncomfortable while somebody was stubbornly shaking her.

"What happened? Open your eyes!" pleaded a feminine voice, while two small hands shook her shoulders once more.

Emitting a slight groan of protestation, Aerith forced her eyes open to see the face of her young sister, looking at her with a worried expression on her face. Blinking, Aerith slowly realised that she was lying on her back, sleeping on the grass for an unknown reason, staring at the already dark sky illuminated only by the silver light of the moon.

"What?" she exclaimed, rising to a sitting position as she realised the weirdness of her sleeping location.

"Thank god, you're okay! Someone said that you collapsed an hour ago…" explained Kitakaze, worry evident in her voice.

"…Really? How?" Aerith asked, looking around in confusion.

"I don't know…the witness said you went to that forest and when you came out…you just lost consciousness" said her sister, pointing to a huge forest standing behind them, the same one that had attracted Aerith's attention a couple of days ago.

Looking at the huge trees, Aerith frowned, even more confused than she was a moment ago.

"I…don't remember a thing" she said in a worried tone.

"Maybe you caught some kind of weak virus or something. The guy who saw you said you looked to be in quite a daze when you came out of there"

"Yes…I…I guess you're right…I'll go to sleep…in my room now" Aerith decided, getting to her feet with some difficulty.

"Take it easy, okay?"

"Yes" approved the flower girl, trying to sound confidant.

Nodding slightly, Kitakaze accompanied her sister to her house, making sure that she was, indeed, going to rest a little. Once Aerith was safe in her bedroom, the younger girl went back outside and looked at the forest, frowning as she felt something abnormal emanating from there.

"What…could have happened?" she asked herself, deciding to let it pass…for now.

Once alone, Aerith sat on her bed, worried about the strange events that had just occurred. As far as she could remember, she was sitting near the waterfall, thinking about Zack.

"Maybe…my memories interacted with his consciousness" she thought, remembering the times when she had to stop herself from blindly entering that strange forest.

Now, she had ended up there without even realising it, like a sleepwalker walking around randomly while lost in the worlds of peaceful slumber.

"There's…something in the forest that's attracting me" she added, not wanting to admit that, in the bottom of her heart, she knew exactly what was lying behind those imposing trees.

Two days passed, and Aerith had to force herself not to go back in that forest to see the secret hidden in its green depths, simply deciding to go on with her everyday life as if nothing happened. But, Kitakaze had better ideas.

Standing in front of the forest, she let the wind touch her skin, feeling every particle of it as she took deep, relaxing breaths. As time passed, she could feel it even more. There was definitely something in that maze of green foliage that wasn't there before.

"Yes, there is…It's…something foreign…and dangerous" the young girl thought, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer.

Making sure she had her daggers sheathed by her side, she took a look around to confirm that no one was watching and took a step forward, finally entering the forbidden forest. Letting the feel of the wind guide her as it's gentle flows surrounded her soul with blind confidence, Kitakaze found her way around the confusing maze of large, imposing trees.

Then, reaching her destination, she took a step back and gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as she looked to the ground, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Oh no! She did it!" she thought, struggling to calm her racing heart.

Lying on his stomach, clad in black leather, was an unconscious man with incredibly long, silky silver hair. Studying him for a moment to make sure he was not going to wake up and annihilate her, Kitakaze slowly knelt by his side, holding her breath. Unable to stop her never ending curiosity, she held a hand to him and slowly turned him on his back with some difficulty, since he wasn't exactly light.

Letting out a relieved breath when he didn't even flinch, she took her time observing him, realising that he wasn't going to regain consciousness anytime soon. Then, she noticed strange, purple patches staining his unnaturally white skin and frowned, slightly worried.

"Is he sick?" she wondered, holding out a hand to tend to his injuries, but she stopped herself in mid-movement, uncertain.

"…I should let him be and get out of here. He's not exactly the defenceless one" she decided, still not sure if it would be wise to leave him like that.

"But…if my sister's the one who helped him get here…he shouldn't be that bad…Besides…I'll hate myself if I don't try to help him" she thought, finally making a final decision.

Swallowing nervously, she put a hand on his chest to analyse the nature of his injuries, immediately feeling a burning pain spread through her palm and pierce her skin.

"…What?" she exclaimed, taking a step back as the strange, purple substance stuck to her fingers, spreading on her slightly tanned skin.

Panicking, she brushed her hands against her pants, wishing to wash the substance away. Feeling as if her heart was going to explode out of her chest, she looked at her hands once again, relieved to see that the unwanted liquid wasn't staining her skin anymore, leaving it as flawless as before. Not wanting to stay there any longer, she took one last look at the strange, unconscious man and ran out of the forest, desperate to take a long, hot shower.

The next day, Aerith was practising her new skills with Tenzen, amazed to see how easily he handled his long, thin blade. In fact, the first time she had seen his Katana, the flower girl almost had a heart attack, seeing how much it looked like the sharp, deadly one that had pierced her skin all those years ago.

Of course, the blade wasn't as long as the Masamune's, but still, it was thin and sharp. After a couple of hours of practise, he sheathed his blade and smiled at her like he often did, a beautiful, flawless curve upon his tremendously attracting lips. His aqua blue eyes shining with the light of his smile, he approached her carefully and put a hand on her shoulder, locking his gaze with hers.

"Do you want to…go out with me someday?" he suddenly asked, a serious expression returning to his face.

"…Of course!" Aerith answered after a slight hesitation, completely taken aback by his unexpected question.

"Well, the shop's closed tomorrow. Do you want me to come visit you?"

"Yes, if you wish to…" approved the flower girl, unable to hold his endearing gaze any longer without turning bright red.

"Good…" he said, a friendly smile gracing his lips.

Then, Tenzen's gaze locked on something behind her as he saw Kitakaze, coming to get her sister for supper.

"Well, your sister is coming, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow" he said, looking back at her.

"Yes. Good evening!"

"You too"

Then, he saluted her with a wave of his hand and went to his house, letting Aerith rejoin her joyful sister.

Once supper was over, Kitakaze looked at her sister thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin as she observed her. Wondering what was going on in her mind, Aerith raised an eyebrow before speaking.

"What?"

"Do you always wear that braid?"

"Of course I do! I always did!" answered Aerith, slightly on the defensive.

"Well, you know, that hairstyle kinda makes you look like…a teenage girl"

"What?" exclaimed the flower girl indignantly.

"Whoa, don't take it too seriously! But…I'm sure your hair would be amazingly beautiful if you let them loose"

"You don't know about that! They always get all frizzy and annoying"

"I bet I can do something for you!" decided Kitakaze, taking her sister by the hand and forcing her to follow her inside her room.

Then, the younger girl indicated her to sit on a chair in front of her chest of drawers, on top of which was a huge mirror. Aerith did as she was told, hoping that her sister would not make her look like a scarecrow. Coming to stand behind her, Kitakaze started undoing her braid, trying to get her own mind off of the strange finding she had made the day before.

After a couple of minutes, Aerith was amazed to see that her sister was in fact beginning to make something nice out of her messy hair. But, the thoughtful expression shadowing Kitakaze's features didn't go unnoticed, and Aerith decided to voice her worries.

"Is everything ok? You look…preoccupied"

"You noticed, huh? Well, I guess I'm no good at hiding things"

"I know, I'm exactly the same" approved Aerith, letting out a small laugh.

"Well, I'm okay, it's just that I found something…strange, in the forest behind your house"

On that note, Aerith's features took on a serious expression, suddenly remembering the unexplained events that happened some days ago.

"…Something?" she finally asked, encouraging her sister to continue.

"Yes. It was…a man. A human, and a cute one at that" admitted Kitakaze, giggling a little at her own statement.

Then, Aerith almost jumped out of her seat on the impact of surprise, but she managed to stay still, hiding her desire to flee her sister's house to see that man with her own eyes.

"You're obviously the one who opened the door for him. The portal is in that forest, exactly where I found the guy. He was completely out cold, even after all those days, surely because the travel from your planet to the portal leading here wasn't exactly…a nice one"

"Me? I opened it? But I don't remember doing anything like that!" exclaimed Aerith, torn between happiness and worry.

"Yes, I know. I guess it's because you're half human…part of you didn't want to do it, while the other desperately wished to"

Aerith stayed silent for a few moments, swallowing the information.

"How…did you find him?" she finally asked when she found her voice again.

"One of my principal abilities is to feel the wind. Not only on my skin, like everyone, but I feel every particle of it. It guides me…and I felt that there was something abnormal in that forest, so I followed that feeling. With that power, I can even retrace missing people, listening to the wind's guidance"

"I see…"

Then, an uneasy silence settled between them before Kitakaze spoke again, her voice slightly worried.

"I know you're going to go and see for yourself as soon as you get out of here. Even if I told you not to, I guess you won't listen. So…I'm only going to tell you to be careful…there's something…awfully disturbing about him"

"What…do you mean?"

"I…I don't know…"

Getting their attention back to Aerith's hairstyle, they remained silent for long minutes, lost in their own thoughts.

"So, he's unconscious, then. I guess the journey getting here must have been terribly painful" Aerith told herself, remembering her own experience, knowing that someone who wasn't Cetra at all must have suffered a great deal during the travel.

Once Kitakaze had finished styling her hair, Aerith had to admit that her sister had made a very good job. In fact, her long, chestnut curls weren't as annoying and frizzy as they usually were, and the look enhanced her natural beauty.

"Wow, it's amazing! Thanks!" declared the older girl, trying to suppress her nervousness and her urge to get out of that house and run to the forest.

"No need to thank me, sis! Now stop taking me for a fool and hurry to satisfy your curiosity…but please…be careful" Kitakaze replied, taking her sisters hands in hers.

"We don't know each other since very long, but you already know me too well" Aerith giggled.

"Yes I do! Now, go" her sister added, releasing her hands.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" promised Aerith before leaving, her heart pounding nervously under her chest.

Then, as soon as she got outside, the half-Cetra went to the forest, unconsciously holding her breath.

"What did I do? The others will be furious if they know I allowed a human here" she thought, trying to steady her trembling hands.

Not being able to feel her way as easily as her sister, Aerith took bit more time trying to find her way through the enormous trees, finally meeting her destination after half an hour of searching. But, what she saw was, to say the least, unexpected…and didn't make her happy at all.

Before her very eyes, lying on his back, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling softly under each breath, was Sephiroth. He no longer had any injuries, so Aerith was oblivious to the fact that there ever was any. Furious, Aerith had to stop herself from taking him by the shoulders and shaking him until he woke up, to force him to tell her what was going on. But, she certainly was intelligent enough not to do that.

"Gosh…" the half-Cetra thought, disgusted by the idea that her sister had found him attractive.

Of course, when Kitakaze had told her that, she had imagined it was undoubtedly Zack.

"Now, I am really in a bad situation" she told herself, clutching her hands into fists as she wondered how she could possibly repair her mistake.

Then, Sephiroth turned his head on the side to face her, making Aerith jump and turn on her heels as she saw a flash of bright green as his eyelids fluttered open. Her heart beating wildly under her chest, the half-Cetra ran blindly through the intertwined trees, not looking back once.

---------------

Opening his eyes slightly, Sephiroth turned his head on the side, trying to ignore the pain that still raged in his skull. Then, he saw a girl with long, curly hair, who ran away in fright before he even had the chance to notice her face. But, she was wearing a pink dress and that was enough for him to recognise her. If he had felt better at the moment, he would have probably laughed at her swift escape.

Forcing himself to rise in a sitting position, he took on his surroundings, smirking as he was quite pleased to have successfully reached his destination. He remembered the unbearable pain, becoming more than overwhelming as he finally reached the end of that cursed, never ending tunnel.

"But, it would have been better if she didn't find me…She certainly won't let me be…but then again, I could use her to some extend…" he thought, slightly amused.

After a long reflection, he decided to wait until the pain was gone and leave this place when the time was right.

"She went north…so I'll just have to go south. The city where she lives is most likely an…inappropriate place to go" he told himself, not wanting to attract any attention for now.

----------------

That night, alone in her room, Aerith was sitting on her bed, wiping tears away from her face.

"How can this be? I never even wanted to bring him here! It's…not fair…" she thought sadly, shaking under the weight of her tears.

"He has no right to be here! And…what happened to Zack?" she added, letting herself fall on her pillow, burying her face in it's fresh softness as she wept desperately.

Trying to lift the veil of mysteries surrounding Sephiroth's apparition, Aerith replayed the dream where she had met Zack in her mind, remembering each of his actions and words.

"I…did think he was acting weird…" she thought, frowning.

But, when she had voiced her doubts, he had told her the obvious, that he was mingled in the Lifestream, after all. Then, as realisation took hold of her, Aerith's eyes went wide with disbelief.

"No! He must have somehow manipulated Zack's memories into contacting me, and I opened a path for him…Oh no…" she whispered, feeling new tears gathering in the corners of her puffy eyes.

Letting the warm, salty wetness roll down her flawless cheeks, Aerith decided that she absolutely had to do something about it.

"There's no way I can let him be on the loose…" she thought, swearing that she would make a plan up for the next day, even if it took her all night to think of one.

There was no way she could sleep, knowing that he was this close to her, anyway.

"Whatever he wants, it can't be good, and I won't let him have his way" she decided, feeling a wave of determination flowing inside her ambitious mind.

The next morning, Kitakaze woke up to the blinding light of the bright sun, smiling drowsily as she stretched her sleepy limbs, readying herself to face a new day. Smelling the nice and attractive scent of her pillow, she had to force herself not to put her head back down on it, since she had always been the lazy kind of person.

Then, she got to her feet and went to her chest of drawers, taking a comb in her hand and beginning to brush her straight, silky hair. Smiling softly as she did so, her serene features soon changed to horror as she saw the purple, accusing stains that ran all over her skin. Dropping her brush as her fingers went limp out of fright, she stretched her arms in front of her, shaking slightly as her brown eyes took on the alarming sight.

"What the hell is that?" she exclaimed, wishing she never went to that damned forest, much less touching a man she didn't even know when she already felt the danger emanating from him.

"I'm such a fool…" she reprimanded herself, trying to steady her nervous breathing.

Then, she stormed out of her bedroom and went to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her and swiftly locking it, not wanting anyone to see her in that kind of state. Surely, her mother would give her the biggest scold of her life, and that would not be pleasant. Not to mention that she was too ashamed of herself to bear the idea of anyone knowing about it.

"It's…going to go away, I just know it" she tried to convince herself while running a cloth under the water before wiping it at her injuries.

After a couple of minutes, Kitakaze started rubbing angrily at her skin, realising that the Lifestream mingled water had little effect to heal her wounds.

"Please…" she whispered, putting an exaggerated amount of soap on the wet cloth before rubbing away again, feeling silent tears roll down her cheeks as she did so.

Then, realising that she was overreacting, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment to control her emotions before washing the cloth and drying it. Once she properly disposed of the cloth, she looked at her arms again, letting out a relived sight as she saw that slowly, the stains were beginning to fade away.

"I have no reason to panic…for now" she decided, carefully getting out of the bathroom to go back to her room, wishing to get on a long sleeved shirt in case the staining anomalies didn't disappear completely.

Later that day, Aerith went out with Tenzen as they planned, and decided to go to a small restaurant for dinner. Obviously, the half-Cetra wasn't up for it at all, still having Sephiroth on her mind and disturbed by her lack of sleep.

So, she let him do the talking, listening absently and answering when he asked her something, trying her best to look normal but knowing that it didn't work at all. While they were sitting in front of her other, waiting for the waitress to bring them their plates, he shot her a concerned glare, wondering what could possibly make her so distant.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing" she lied, offering him one of her overly practised fake smiles.

"Am I boring you?" he said jokingly.

Refraining herself to tell him that she could never be bored in such a good looking presence, Aerith couldn't help but blush, smiling shyly as she avoided his gaze.

"Not at all" she finally said, giggling.

"So…what's on your mind?" he insisted, becoming serious again.

"Don't concern yourself with me, I just had an agitated night, that's all"

"Really?" Tenzen said a bit sarcastically, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes"

Then, as if to help Aerith evade the subject, the waitress finally arrived with their meals, a shining smile radiating upon her features as she served them.

"You can tell me anything, you know" Tenzen said when she was out of sight.

"…I know" sighed Aerith, trying to look a little annoyed.

Then, they went silent for long minutes as she got lost in her own inner thoughts, silently wishing to tell him everything.

"He's strong, and he would be able to find a solution. Maybe he could even get rid of Sephiroth" she told herself, biting her lower lip as she felt the urge to reveal her secret.

Taking a bite of her food, she briefly looked at his amazingly striking blue eyes, realising how he was important to her.

"No, I can't tell him anything. I…don't want him to be hurt. This is my problem, and I'll take care of it on my own" she decided, feeling a strong wave of determination flow through her body and lifting her mood significantly.

After all, she still had some time to enjoy with him before she went to carry out her plans, and she certainly wasn't going to waste it by letting Sephiroth darken her mood.

**A/N: I hope my English was good here too, and that you enjoyed this long chapter.**


	6. Confrontation

**I don't own a thing!**

**A/N: It took me a little while longer to get this chapter finished, because college is started and it kinda killed a bit of my inspiration, and I hope it doesn't show in my writing. But don,t worry, I won't let anyone reading this down! Keep reviewing and I'll kick myself to work. Thanks for the reviews! I hope you'll like this chapter, I had a bit of a trouble getting them to leave together and all, because I wanted it to be credible…But well, tell me if I did a good job…I want to know if Seph is IC enough, because he is a bit hard to portray, I think. I hope the chapter is long enough. You can give me suggestions too in your reviews, if you want to! Well, I'll stop rambling now. On with the fic!**

His back pressed against a tick, large tree trunk, Sephiroth closed his eyes, silently massaging his temples with his thumbs, wondering if he ever had a headache that much unbearable. He was sitting still for hours now, not wanting to do anything else than keep his Mako eyes firmly closed, wishing that the suffering would go away.

He wanted to leave the damned forest as soon as possible, but in his condition, there was no way he could get to his feet without feeling dizzy and having to sit back right away. Even after an entire life of dangerous fights, enduring countless wounds and blood loss, the silver haired man never felt so sick, so…weak before.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked himself, gently rubbing his temples as he breathed the sweet scent of the foliage around him, wishing that the freshness of the wind could ease the pain burning in his skull.

Closing his mind to try to stop feeling anything, he failed to ear the uncertain footsteps that slowly approached him. So, he couldn't help but to be slightly taken by surprise as he heard a firm, female voice addressing him.

"Sephiroth" she said in an accusing tone.

Forcing his eyes open, he raised his tired gaze to look at the small woman standing before him, holding a strange, glowing metal staff in her right hand and looking at him with determined eyes. This time, though, she was wearing a purple dress instead of her trademark pink clothes and her braid was undone, her hair falling freely on her shoulders like a soft cascade of chestnut curls.

As soon as her date with Tenzen was over, she had run to her house to get ready for her plans involving Sephiroth. Trying to hide his sickness behind a mask of annoyance, he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to speak again.

"How…how did you get here?" she asked, teeth clenched.

"You led me here. Don't you remember?" he answered in an amused tone.

Frustrated, Aerith clutched her staff tighter, strongly curling her small fingers around the cold metal until her knuckles turned white.

"No, I don't remember, and I certainly didn't bring you here!" she exclaimed, trying to hold her anger down.

"Oh, but you did"

Taking a deep breath, the half-Cetra briefly closed her emerald eyes before looking straight at him, regaining a little determination.

"Explain it to me, then. I want to know how it happened" she asked more gently, her fury slightly fading away.

"Very well. I allowed my spirit energy to mingle with Zack's in order to manipulate him into contacting you. Last time, it was your memories that somehow reached him…and me. I took the opportunity to make you open that path for me…using your human weaknesses. You even told me everything I needed to know…"

Feeling the burning anger returning to her mind and body, Aerith looked at him with piercing, unwavering emerald orbs. Naturally, her guesses had been right. He really did manipulate Zack, and herself, for that matter. But, the worst of it was that she fell for it.

"What did I tell you?" she asked after a moment of reflection.

"That I could get here…if I had a strong mind…and that there was a way back. Then, you just opened the path, of course, I took Zack's appearance, so…don't blame yourself. You couldn't know it was me" the silver haired man answered, a slight, mocking smile spreading on his lips.

"How could you" she muttered under her breath, unable to bear the unfairness of the situation.

Feeling incredibly sick, as if a thousand hammers smashed his brain continually, Sephiroth closed his eyes once again, hoping that the gesture would pass the message to Aerith, making her go back to her home and leave him alone.

"I see that you don't feel well. I suppose it is the only thing that prevented you from fleeing the forest as soon as you woke up" she said bitterly, putting a hand on her hip.

Now knowing that she wasn't going to get away anytime soon, he opened his bright green eyes once again, looking at her without even bothering to hide his suffering, since she had seen right through his cold mask.

"What do you want?" he asked, annoyed.

"I want to know why you came here, and what you are planning to do. I won't let you wander around this world as you please" she said firmly.

Instead of responding, Sephiroth let out a small sigh and closed his eyelids again, starting to rub his temples as if she wasn't there anymore. Then, she took a deep breath and closed the distance separating them, kneeling down beside him and putting her staff on the dry, leaves covered ground.

A second later, Sephiroth felt himself surrounded by a strange aura, feeling a comforting warmth spreading around him and slipping through his skin, easing his headache and replenishing his strength. Surprised, he opened his eyes again and raised an eyebrow at the girl beside him, waiting for an explanation.

"I suppose you want to leave, hm? Then I can't let you go alone. I'll go with you, even if you don't want me to. And if we stay here, my sister will surely find us soon and we'll both be in trouble if she tells anyone about your presence here" she explained.

"Hmph" was his only answer before his eyelids closed once again, at the great disappointment of Aerith.

Not sure if he should be annoyed or satisfied with Aerith's words, Sephiroth remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

"This is a Cetra world. There will be a lot of full blooded Ancients everywhere, and they'll certainly by intelligent enough to guess that I'm not one of them." He thought, knowing that being in Aerith's presence would make him look less suspicious.

Not to mention that from what he saw from Zack's memories, she wasn't the kind of person to change her mind once it was firmly set. Reaching his decision, he spoke again, his tone neutral.

"I still need a moment to rest"

Satisfied to see that he wasn't going to argue, the half-Cetra took back her staff before getting away from him and sat, her back placed against the trunk of a nearby tree, her determined gaze never leaving him as she did so.

"Good. I'll wait here. Besides…I wanted to visit this world anyway, so now is my chance…and the least you can do is let me accompany you, since I'm the reason you're here" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

His eyes still closed, Sephiroth nodded slightly, showing that he was listening.

"I'll just have to get rid of her if she gets annoying…" he thought, surprised to see that he wasn't disturbed by her presence and didn't care about the fact that she saw him in a weak state.

After half an hour of silent observation, Aerith sighed noisily, getting bored waiting for him to get better.

"He seems to really have paid the hard price to get here" she thought, playing with a lock of her loose hair.

Still in the same position as before, his head slightly bowed, Sephiroth didn't make a single sound, as if he was lost in a deep, peaceful slumber.

"We're lucky no one has found us already…" she told herself, getting slightly worried.

Then, she thought about Tenzen, hoping that he wouldn't think she left because he did something wrong that pushed her away. In fact, her date with him only raised her interest for him. But, as soon as they parted, she had prepared herself to leave with Sephiroth, bringing with her a back bag full of clothes and money.

Chasing her thoughts away and looking at Sephiroth's face, which was partly hidden by silky silver bangs, the half-Cetra frowned, thinking that he was abnormally vulnerable at the moment.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a mix of annoyance and concern.

"Yes" he lied, opening his glowing eyes to look at her from behind his unnatural hair.

Shaking her head in annoyance, she got to her feet and approached him, just in time to hear someone call her name.

"Aerith?" asked the voice, coming from far away.

Panicked, the half-Cetra took Sephiroth by the hand and tried to force him to get to his feet, tentative that granted her a blood chilling glance from the silver haired man.

"My sister is searching for me! If she knows that I'm planning to leave, she'll probably try to stop me…I don't want to involve anyone" she said, afraid of what would happen if someone else than Kitakaze got to know about Sephiroth's presence.

The last thing Aerith wanted was a massacre, not to mention that she'd feel unbearably responsible for it.

"You're right, then. We should go" he groaned, getting to his feet with a great deal of difficulty.

Even if he didn't like the idea, Sephiroth knew that leaving with her would be his wisest choice at the moment.

"Yes. My sister is very perceptive. She would have no problem finding us…" approved Aerith.

Feeling too ill to argue anymore, Sephiroth simply nodded and followed as the young woman went to the opposite direction of her town, walking as fast as she could to loose her sister. Even in his illness, the silver haired man had no problem catching up with her since his strides were much larger and efficient than hers.

Soon enough, they got out of the confusing forest and found themselves in the middle of a huge, green plain illuminated by the bright sun, it's rays flowing over their contrasting frames from the endless, cloudless sky. Unable to see any sing of civilisation, they decided to go south, hoping to eventually find some kind of village or town.

---------------

A couple of minutes after their escape, Kitakaze reached the spot were they had been waiting, sensing their presence slowly fading away.

"They went that way…" she said to herself, looking south as she wondered whether she should follow them or simply let them be.

Then, she closed her eyes and freed her mind from any kind of thoughts, leaving her consciousness totally blank as she felt the power of the atmosphere surround her completely, her mind rising to a new level of perception. After a few moments, standing perfectly still, she opened her brown orbs, a neutral expression on her face.

"She's gone of her own free will" she concluded, still feeling the guidance of the wind easing her mind.

"As much as I don't want Aerith to get out of my life, I have no right to interfere" she decided, finally turning on her heels to go back to town.

"If she didn't tell anyone that she was going to leave, then it must be for a precise reason…I'll just have to keep quiet and wait for her return" she thought while taking the road leading to her house, unperturbed by her sister's absence, since she knew that Aerith wouldn't abandon her and Ifalna without saying a word.

--------------

After an hour walking under the burning sun, Aerith gave Sephiroth a subtle glance, noticing that slowly but surely, he was getting better. Since they left the outskirts of Radiant Garden, neither of them had spoken a word and didn't feel the need to.

While the swordsman was constantly looking straight in front of him, the young woman by his side took her sweet time observing him from the corner of her eye, wondering in what kind of bad situation she had got herself into this time. Illuminated by the shining radiance of the sun, the unnaturally white, flawless skin gracing Sephiroth's features was even more pale, making him look like he didn't sleep in years.

"Well, maybe that's the case" Aerith thought, wondering how someone could be _this_ sickly pale.

But, she had to admit that his paleness was a part of his appearance that fitted with his looks. On him, it didn't look that much abnormal.

"Sleeping wouldn't hurt him, though" she told herself, forcing herself not to let an amused smile spread on her lips.

Then, the corner of his eyes twitched slightly and she found herself looking straight at his reptilian eyes as he raised an annoyed eyebrow.

"There's a town a couple of miles ahead. Not that you noticed it, of course" he said calmly, his deep voice slightly bored.

"Oh?" replied Aerith, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

Ignoring her, he reported his gaze in front of him as Aerith did the same, finally noticing the small town growing nearer at each step.

"It's not too big, we should be able to go there without drawing to much attention" she said in a confidant tone, trying to wash away her nervousness.

Silent as always, her unwilling companion simply nodded. Rolling her eyes, the half-Cetra sarcastically thought that the travel would be most pleasant.

Some time later, they finally entered the small village, trying to ignore the people who curiously stared at them as they searched for an inn. Of course, Aerith wanted to visit the place and get to know some new people, but for now, she wanted nothing more than a hot shower to get clean after walking for so long under the hot, burning sun.

Once they found what they were looking for, Aerith went to the counter and stopped dead in her tracks, realising that she really didn't want to share a room with a mass murderer.

"…I guess I have no choice. Who knows what kind of thing he'll do if I get my eyes off of him? Besides, I don't want him to take the opportunity to flee" she thought, finally crossing the few steps separating her from the small woman behind the counter.

"I want a room with two beds, if possible" asked the flower girl, smiling gently.

"As you wish" responded the woman, looking briefly at Sephiroth before handing a key to Aerith and telling her the price.

Trying to hide her nervousness, the half-Cetra took the gil necessary and handed it over, taking the key and thanking the woman before heading to her room.

Once inside, Aerith chose the bed closer to the door, letting herself fall on its soft covers and sighing a long, relaxing breath.

"Finally…I can get some rest!" she thought, letting her tired legs rest heavily on the mattress.

Then, she turned her emerald gaze to Sephiroth, forcing herself to draw a friendly smile on her pink lips.

"Go ahead, I'll take a shower later. I assume that after spending entire days lying down on the ground, in the middle of a dark forest, you might need it more than I do" she said, even if his appearance was completely flawless.

Not bothering to respond, Sephiroth headed to the washroom and closed the door a bit too harshly for Aerith's tastes. Once he was out of sight, the brunette put a hand to her forehead, letting out an exasperated groan and wishing she was still in Radiant Garden, working at the weapon shop with a contented smile on her face.

"For once, I thought I had found peace…" she told herself, trying to ignore the sound of the water running as Sephiroth started the shower.

"Well…I'll have to at least try and get along with him" she decided, wishing to make her journey with him as enjoyable as possible.

Settling himself under the boiling water, Sephiroth drenched his entire face, closing his eyes as the warmth and wetness eased his throbbing headache. Of course, Aerith's magic had helped him, but the pain was still present. But, being able to feel the glowing liquid roll down his skin was enough to help him forget the terribly bad day he was having.

"I guess I'll be stuck with her…but maybe it's better that way. Standing alone against a suspicious mass of full blooded Cetras doesn't sound very pleasant" he thought, sighing softly as he resigned himself to the fact that Aerith wasn't going to leave his side anytime soon, and that he, in a sense, needed her anyway.

Since he knew nothing about the world he was now in, the silver haired man was well aware that in order to built a strong and infallible plan, he would have to gather information about this new, fabled land. Feeling a little better, he opened his eyes and immediately narrowing them as he saw a weird, purple liquid staining his skin and flowing down the Lifestream tainted water. Staying perfectly calm, he reflected about what could possibly cause such a thing, finally coming to an unpleasant conclusion.

"I'm loosing my Jenova cells" he concluded, finally understanding why he was feeling so weak and…different. Stuck between amusement and rage, he let out a small, sarcastic laugh as the alien substance pursued it's escape out of his muscled body, flowing down on him and slowly fading away as the celestial water destroyed the unwanted cells.

"Hmph. I should have expected it. There's no reason to be upset about it…not until I find a good reason to" he thought, finally deciding that the absence of Jenova within his body would not alter his future plans and would give him a certain advantage, since the Cetra would certainly be more…unsuspecting.

In fact, it was quite possible that the Cetra would have been able to feel the Jenova inside him and immediately see him as an enemy. But then again…it was a part of his identity, and Sephiroth couldn't help but to be clearly unpleased with the situation.

A couple of minutes later, the silver haired man finally came out of the shower, fully dressed in his black leather coat, his slightly wet hair falling heavily on his large shoulders as he felt his headache returning in full force. Suddenly feeling dizzy, he put a hand to his forehead and struggled to keep his balance as Aerith looked at him with worried eyes.

"Sephiroth…are you ok?" She asked, carefully getting to her feet and slowly approaching him.

The swordsman didn't bother answering her question, since it the answer was obvious. Then, he felt her gentle hand touching his right arm and leading him to his bed.

"You really should rest" she said as he sat down on the mattress, annoyed at her concern.

But even if he wanted to shoot her a murdering glance to show he didn't need any help, Sephiroth simply nodded and leant down on the bed, turning his bright green eyes to look at the worried girl beside him.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked without even thinking, as if his mouth had a will of its own.

"Well…I was asking myself the same question, you see. But…I guess it's in my nature to help people. And…I don't want us to annoy each other to death and end up ripping our heads off our body"

Sephiroth had to stop himself from smirking, wondering whose head would be ripped first. Oblivious to his amusement, Aerith put a hand to her chin thoughtfully before speaking again.

"I wanted us to spend the rest of the day visiting the village, but…we'll do it tomorrow…If you want to, of course?"

"…As you wish"

Then, Sephiroth closed his eyes and hoped that she would finally let him rest. But, as he was trying to get his mind clean of any kind of thoughts, he felt a swirl of warm, celestial magic surrounding him, just like back in the forest. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the girl once again as she slightly leaned down to look him straight in the eye.

"You should be okay now" she said, a radiant, overwhelmingly beautiful smile gracing her flawless face as her unearthly dark orbs pierced right through his ravaged soul.

For a while, he just stared at her, not thinking about anything at all, as if she had suddenly shut his mind away from reality. Then, he turned his gaze away, blinking as he wondered how she could be so natural, so radiant even around a dark shadow like him.

"I'll let you sleep now. Have a good nap!" she said, retreating to the washroom as he closed his eyes one last time, almost instantly falling into a deep, rejuvenating slumber.


	7. Wishing upon a star

**Disclaimer : I don't own FF7**

**A/N : Well, here's an update! The chapter is pretty long, and I already have a few more ideas in the back of my head, so next updates should be fast enough! That said, please review and…enjoy the story!**

After taking a long, rejuvenating, boiling shower, Aerith was quite relieved to see that Sephiroth was still asleep. His body was so perfectly still that only the tiny movements of his chest showed that he was still breathing.

Humming a sweet song, she dried her hair with a long, red towel, smiling softly. Then, she brushed her wavy, dark hair before pulling them back in their everlasting braid.

"Kitakaze would be exasperated" the half-Cetra thought, suppressing a slight giggle as her imagination showed her Kitakaze's expression.

"I hope I'll be able to see her again soon" she sighed, realising that the people of Radiant Garden had grown on her even more than she previously thought.

------------------

At the same moment, a couple of kilometres away from the pink clad girl, Kitakaze was nervously playing with a lock of her hair as her mother was getting worried about the fact that Aerith didn't show up for supper.

"Have you seen her today?" Ifalna asked, looking through the window for the tenth time in an hour.

"No, I haven't…" the young girl answered, avoiding her mother's gaze.

"Hm…that's strange. It's not like her to miss our everyday reunion" Ifalna added, putting a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"Well…maybe she's still with Tenzen?" proposed Kitakaze, immediately regretting her words.

"Yes, you're right" her mother said, smiling as she felt the stress leaving her.

Kitakaze smiled back at her, trying to look like a girl who just said nothing more than the absolute and obvious truth.

"Why do I feel like I'd better not tell her? Is it because I don't want to burden Aerith's choice? …Yeah, that's probably it. But she'll eventually notice that she's not even in the city anymore" Kitakaze thought to herself.

Not wanting to support her mother's gaze any longer, she went to her bedroom and locked the door behind her, trying to push away her anxiousness.

---------------

That night, Aerith turned in her bed for the hundredth time, letting out a heavy, annoyed sigh as she threw the covers off of her, rising to a sitting position.

"I can't sleep with him just beside me!" she angrily thought, getting to her feet before entering to bathroom to get on a long, clear blue dress.

Once she was properly dressed, the half-Cetra silently stepped out of the room, careful not to wake Sephiroth.

Then, she went out of the hotel and took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill her lungs and chase away her gloomy thoughts. Walking calmly in the silent village, she let her eyes wander around the veil of thick darkness shadowing the sleeping streets, enjoying the calm of the night. Listening to the sound of her feet gently crushing the rocky ground, she cleared her mind of any kind of thoughts, feeling nothing else than every little stimulus teasing her senses.

After a couple of minutes spent in silent contemplation, she reached a tiny beach, holding her breath as the shining of the moon upon the white sand filled her entire sight and being with awe.

"That's so beautiful!" she whispered, taking off her shoes and letting her tiny feet touch the smooth surface of the sandy, silver veil.

For long moments, she simply stood in the middle of the beach, looking at the smiling moon, completely forgetting herself. Then, she laid down on her back, letting her sparkling green eyes wander around the magnificent, star filled sky. Laying perfectly still, she suppressed a yawn, finally feeling the fatigue of the day weighing down on her. Not wanting to move from her meditating position, she tried her best to keep her eyes open, wishing to see a shooting star cross the black heavens and grant her anything that she might desire.

"Is there something I would want to ask the star?" she wondered, smiling at her own childishness.

Yawing silently, she felt small, sleepy tears gather in the corner of her eyes as she reflected about her own question.

"…Hm, I know…I desire…peace. I would wish to be next to Kitakaze, while Sephiroth would wander endlessly in the green flows of the shining Lifestream, far away from me and the ones I love" she decided as her eyelids slowly slid along her emerald orbs, finally closing as she fell asleep, a single tear rolling down her pale cheeks.

----------------

A few hours later, Sephiroth finally opened his glowing eyes and rose to a sitting position, his face betraying no emotion as is sore muscles screamed at him not to make any other movement. Ignoring their annoying plea, he got off the bed and scanned the area, rapidly noticing that Aerith wasn't under her light covers, neither was she anywhere in the entire room.

Wondering for a brief second where she might have gone, he raised an eyebrow before putting his boots on and taking the Masamune, ready to go somewhere silent and desert to practice his sword technique, knowing that the exercise would help him get rid of the pain burning in the deep tissue of his well toned muscles.

"At least the headache is gone" he thought, having already forgotten about Aerith's absence.

As he got outside, the swordsman was quite pleased to see that the sun had just risen in the cloudless sky and that the villagers were still comfortable in the soft depths of their bed. Walking calmly under the orange heavens, he spotted a deserted beach, deciding that it would be a good spot for his training.

But, as he approached the pale sand, he saw a woman sleeping on the ground, wearing a long, beautiful blue dress spreading around her slim frame as she dreamed silently, her right cheek pressed against the smooth, sandy whiteness. Her braid was tangled and covered in sand as the tiny orbs gracing the smooth ground stuck to her flawless skin.

"So…that's were she went" he concluded, deciding to leave her alone, even if her sand stained face was quite an amusing sight.

Walking straight past her, he didn't bother to look back as he found a hidden spot at the far reaches of the beach, finally preparing himself to handle his amazingly long blade against an invisible enemy.

----------------

Some time later, in Radiant Garden…

"Oh, what am I going to do? Aerith is supposed to be working today!" Kitakaze complained to herself, wondering if she should take her sister's place at the shop.

Pacing around her room in annoying circles, still wearing her night-gown , she finally made a final decision.

"Yes, that's what I'll do!" she exclaimed, immediately opening her drawers to search for some appropriate clothes.

It wasn't long before she made her mind, since she wasn't the kind of girl to spend an hour in front of the mirror each morning. But, as soon as she undressed herself to put her daily clothes on, her jaw dropped open as her eyes went wide with surprise, disbelief and horror.

"Oh no…" she whispered, placing her hand on her abdomen, refusing to admit that her eyes didn't fool her.

As much as the previous stains had easily disappeared the previous day, she now woke up with even more of them staining her white, usually flawless skin. The strange infection had spread to her legs and torso, finally forcing her to admit that it wasn't normal at all.

"It won't go away, will it? And even the Lifestream mingled in the water has very little effect…" she thought, feeling a strong wave of fear flowing inside her.

Closing her eyes briefly and taking a deep, calming breath, she quickly got dressed and assured herself that no one would be able to see the purple anomalies marking her skin.

"I'll go see a doctor soon" she decided as she put her clothes on.

Once she was all set, Kitakaze exited her room and saluted her mother before rapidly heading to Tenzen's weapon shop.

"Working will surely help me change my mind" she concluded, forcing her anxiousness away as she reached her destination.

But, once she stood in front of the door, a knot tied itself in her stomach and she took a deep breath, lifting a hand to the door.

"Searching for someone?" asked a deep, masculine voice from behind her, making her heart leap.

Spinning around like a child who had just been caught doing something bad, she put a reassuring hand on her chest to calm her racing heart, letting out a relieved sigh as she saw Tenzen, looking at her with an amused smile.

"Oh, good morning, Tenzen! " she greeted, turning around to face the man.

Trying to hide her nervousness, she offered him a bright smile as she twisted her fingers behind her back, hoping he didn't notice.

"Good morning to you, too, Kita… But…you're here because of her, hm?" he guessed, cutting straight to the point.

"Huh…well, yes…" the girl admitted, turning her eyes away as she blushed slightly.

"She always comes to see me before the shop opens, to train a little. So I wondered why she didn't this time, and went to her house. She's gone" he explained, looking a bit worried.

Feeling bad for not telling anyone about her sister's departure, Kitakaze couldn't find anything to say, hiding her shame in a nervous silence. Seeing that she wasn't going to talk any time soon, Tenzen spoke again.

"I guess you know where she is, since you have the sharpest senses of this entire city"

"…Well…yes, I do…" Kitakaze admitted shyly.

"I see. If you didn't go after her, it must mean that you had a reason. I trust your judgement…and if she wanted to leave…I guess it was her choice. So…we'll just have to wait for her to come back" he said, giving her a friendly smile.

"Yes. I decided it was best to let her go if that's what she wanted. I…didn't want to bother her" explained Kitakaze, relieved to see that he wasn't angry at her at all and was able to comprehend her decision.

"I understand" the swordsman said, a flicker of sadness shadowing his clear blue eyes for a brief moment as he spoke.

Noticing it, Kitakaze nervously bit her lower lip, knowing that he was probably thinking that, maybe, he did something wrong to push Aerith away. As much as she wanted to reassure him, she couldn't find the words to do it, so she decided to change the subject.

"I came here so I could help you with the shop in her absence. If you need me, of course…"

"Yes, that would be very much appreciated" he approved, a gentle smile returning to his lips.

"That's what I wanted to hear!" she said cheerfully, hiding her own inner thoughts.

"_Wow, he's got such a nice smile…"_ Kitakaze thought in the back of her mind, knowing that she would find the day quite pleasant.

-------------------

While Kitakaze was beginning her day at the shop, Aerith slowly awoke from her slumber, unable to stand the heat of the sun burning her skin any longer. Wondering why her bed felt so uncomfortable, she rolled on her back, being immediately blinded by the strong rays of the rising sun that pierced through her closed eyelids.

"Ohh…" she groaned, forcing her eyes open and shielding her face from the threatening light.

Even if she was annoyingly blinded by the sun, Aerith immediately noticed the clear blue sky spreading before her, making her realise that she wasn't laying on a bed at all.

Getting slightly panicked, the half-Cetra rose to a sitting position, now fully awake, scanning the area with wide eyes as she remembered the reason why she was sleeping on a white beach instead of her hotel room.

"Oh no! I left Sephiroth alone!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet and spinning around in a split second, only to find herself bumping against a tall, dark shadow.

Unable to contain the strong beating of her racing heart, she took a quick step back, blushing out of embarrassment as she saw the amused smirk spreading on Sephiroth's lips.

"You think that you need to baby-sit me?" he said, half-amused, half-annoyed.

"Oh! That's…no, that's not what I meant! I…"

Now blushing furiously, she clenched her fists by her side, feeling a wave of anger replacing her embarrassment.

"What about you? What were you doing here? Spying on me?" she exclaimed, putting a hand on her hip.

"I just came to see if you would wake up before a crowd gathered itself on the beach" he explained, refraining to say that it would have been quite amusing to see her being awaken by a bunch of excited tourists.

Once again, the half-Cetra couldn't help but blush, noticing that some people were actually making their way to their current location. Even if she didn't like to admit it, Aerith realised that waking up to bump into Sephiroth was less embarrassing than awakening in the middle of a crowd of swimsuit dressed strangers.

"All right, you win" she said angrily, making her way back to the village, eager to take a long shower to get rid of the annoying sand that infiltrated some uncomfortable locations of her body.

A couple of hours later, they walked along the streets of the village, quickly noticing that there wasn't much to visit except the shops that didn't interest anyone else than the brunette.

Her shower had given her time to forget the humiliating events of the morning and she was now enjoying herself just as much as any normal girl on a shopping day.

"You seem to feel better today" Aerith remarked, trying to start a conversation with the silent wall that was travelling with her.

"Yes. The headache is gone" the silver haired man answered in an uninterested tone.

"Good"

Silence then followed for a few seconds as Aerith eyed him suspiciously.

"Maybe it's just me, but…you seem…different, somehow" she finally said, trying to put a finger on the exact reason of her uneasiness.

"…I know" he answered after a short hesitation, keeping his never ending cold mask.

"Hum? What do you mean?" the brunette asked, getting intrigued.

Wondering if he should keep silent or tell her the reason for his "change", Sephiroth sighed softly before finally answering.

"There's not a single trace of Jenova left inside me. This…makes me feel rather strange, indeed"

"What?" Aerith exclaimed, trying not to be too pleased by the situation, since he clearly wasn't.

"The price I paid for entering this world was the loss of half of my own identity"

"Oh…" the brunette sighed, realising how lost he should be at that very moment, after loosing the single thing that defined him the most, making him who he was.

Then, Sephiroth hid himself behind a wall of silence and cold indifference, staring straight ahead as they walked along the slightly crowded streets. Not knowing if she should say anything or not, Aerith decided to stay silent as well, wondering what kind of thoughts flowed behind his glowing green eyes.

But, after a moment, he turned his reptilian gaze to meet hers, raising an eyebrow as he spoke again.

"I hope you don't plan on shopping for the next few days…" he said, clearly showing his annoyance.

After all, he didn't like loosing precious time and certainly didn't come to that new world simply to watch a girl delight herself in front of some stupid shops. He wanted to gather information about the place and decide what his next move would be.

"Well…" the half-Cetra begun, putting a hand on her hip as she stopped walking and looked around thoughtfully.

"…This city, if we can call it that, doesn't hold much knowledge. We have to know where we'll be going next. But for now, I'm hungry" she declared, scanning the area in search of a restaurant.

While doing so, she spotted a tall, blonde girl standing on the other side of the street and looking at them with curious interest.

"Well…maybe we should ask around" Aerith proposed, immediately heading to the blonde's location.

Sighing softly, the silver haired man followed her, feeling totally out of place. Once they reached the strange blonde, a fake, radiating smile graced Aerith's lips as she addressed her.

"Excuse me…do you know where I can find a cheap restaurant?" the brunette asked, slightly ashamed by the fact that she didn't have enough money to buy more expensive meals.

"Of course! I know a nice place where I always go myself, since it's nice and not too expensive. Do you want me to show you the way?" the blonde cheerfully replied.

"Yes, that would be nice" Aerith approved, smiling back at her.

"Good! Follow me. Oh, and by the way…my name is Orelle"

"Nice to meet you, Orelle. I'm Aerith"

The two girls shook hands, then turned to look at the silver haired man expectantly.

"…Sephiroth" came the uninterested answer.

"Oh, a nice name for a cute guy" remarked Orelle, letting out a short laugh as she saw the disgusted expression spreading all over Aerith's face.

"Shall we go now?" the centre of attention declared, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"Yes" Aerith approved, a strange frown shadowing her features and drawing an amused smile from Orelle.

Some time later, the three were sitting around a circular table in a popular restaurant, eating cheap but good meals. Obviously, Orelle had decided to join them, pretending that she was quite hungry as well.

"You two make a strange pair" the blonde suddenly declared as they finished their plates.

"What do you mean?" Aerith asked.

"Well, I've noticed at first sight that you're a little different from anyone else I have ever met… And…"

Letting her voice trail along the last word, she turned her dark blue gaze to look at Sephiroth.

"You're human"

Trying not to show their surprise, both Aerith and Sephiroth stayed silent, exchanging a subtle glance. While the brunette wondered if it was _this_ obvious, Sephiroth thought that normally, people would refer to him as "monster" instead of "human". But now, without Jenova, was it what he really was? A mere human? Either way, he decided to play along.

"Your guess is quite sharp" he finally said.

"I knew it! I'm so glad, I've never met a full blooded human before!" Orelle beamed, clearly amazed.

"…"

"Well, why are you here?" she asked them, smiling as she clearly showed her interest.

"I live in Radiant Garden, and I wanted to travel around this world to learn more about it, since it is my new home now" Aerith answered.

"Good! And you?" the blonde turned to look at the silver haired man.

"…I'm here for the same reasons as her" he said neutrally, careful as to not reveal too much about himself.

"Really? Well, I spent my entire life here and I know just the place where you can learn new info to help you on your travels"

"Oh?"

"There's an old wizard living a couple of kilometres away from Radiant Garden, and it's not very far from here. He knows pretty much everything about our world. It's a bit too late to go today, though. Tomorrow, I can lead you to him if you want"

"Thanks! Is it alright with you, Sephiroth?" Aerith asked, clearly happy to know that they would be able to move on.

Not showing any emotions as usual, the silver haired man simply nodded, wondering what on earth was he doing in that unknown place, alone with two annoying girls, including one that he killed a long time ago.

"Maybe I should have followed my previous plan and stayed in the Lifestream until I found a way out…" he thought, feeling a little too lost for his own tastes.

Later that evening, Aerith was sitting on her bed, lost in her own thoughts, a constant frown shadowing her normally cheerful features. Getting quite bored as they couldn't do anything until the next morning, Sephiroth observed her from his sitting place on a corner of the room. Even if he didn't know her very much, he knew that something bothered her.

"What's wrong?" he suddenly asked, breaking through Aerith's train of thoughts.

"Hum? Oh, nothing" she said, offering him one of her fake smiles.

"Really…" he said sarcastically, wondering why he even bothered to ask in the first place.

Knowing that he was no fool, the young woman sighed softly, wondering how she could explain something like that to him.

"Well…if I tell you, you're going to laugh at me, since it's really silly and unimportant" she said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

"Hmph. It would at least be less boring to listen to than the never ending silence weighing on this room" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Aerith couldn't help but giggle a bit, admitting to herself that the evening was, in fact, quite dull.

"Well…I…thought about Orelle. You know, she is…extremely tall and lean, and blonde…she's…absolutely beautiful. Sometimes, when I meet someone like that, I feel…small" Aerith explained, blushing slightly as she realised the childishness of her thoughts.

Expecting a long, dark laugh, she was surprised when Sephiroth only nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"I know that I'm quite beautiful myself. But sometimes…you know, others can make you feel like you are insignificant. I like her, she's really nice, but I can't help it"

"…Is that the only reason?" he asked, knowing that there was more to it.

"…No. She also feels…strong, you know. She's a real Cetra. Everyone here is Cetra. Under the sunlight, they all seem to glow ethereally…making me feel like a pale shadow of my own kind…oh, I must sound so stupid now…" she sighed, burying her face in her hands to hide her shame.

"You feel inferior to them" Sephiroth concluded.

Wondering why he took her seriously, Aerith nodded sadly, raising her dark green eyes to meet his glowing ones.

"I'm going to ask you something" he offered, looking at her with a serious look on his face.

"Yes?"

"Would you want to be a woman mingled in the middle of a crowd filled with identical people and be nothing more than another one of them, or do you want to be a woman that stands out of the masses, as someone completely different?"

Amazingly surprised by the direct, efficient question, Aerith's eyes went wide as the smile returned to her pink lips, almost making her sad eyes shine.

"Yes, it sounds better when you put it that way" she admitted, amazed by the fact that Sephiroth, of all people, had been able to cheer her up, using a single sentence.

Not showing any emotion, he nodded slightly as her smile grew wider.

"Thanks, Sephiroth! Now that you mention it...being different isn't bad at all"

Hiding behind his silent wall again, he looked at her for quite some time, thinking that it wasn't like him at all to try and comfort someone. But, in the bottom of his dark soul, a part of him understood her words. A long time ago, he had thought the same things, unable to accept the differences between him and the rest of the world. But, one day, he had decided to use this "abnormality" to his advantage, leading to conclusions that weren't necessarily good.

It was another reason why he was mad at loosing his Jenova gene. Now, he didn't know how to describe himself, if not as another pathetic human.

**A/N: As a side note, Orelle will be a very small character and will disappear very soon. She is only there to provoke some situations, like the one that just happened. So, I hope you liked it!**


	8. Ambivalence

**I don't own anything except my OCs.**

**A/N: Wow, a fast update! I'm in the mood for writing this week, even if I should be doing my homework instead! ...Lol! Well, this chapter as less AeriSeph than the last one, since there is a lot of story happening in Radiant Garden. But on the next one, the story will take a new turn and the plot will thicken.**

The next morning, Aerith woke up first, stretching sleepily as she gently pushed her covers away by struggling with her bare feet. Having slept fairly well, she let out a contented sigh as she opened her pretty eyes, forcing herself to get to a sitting position.

Then, she let her eyes wander to Sephiroth, noticing that he was sleeping in a strange position, half-sitting against the head of his bed, his head bowed down as his silky, lustrous hair fell in front of his pale face.

"I wonder if he's used to stay up all night? He looks like someone who fell asleep without realising it" she thought, frowning slightly as she got off her own bed to approach him.

Like always, he was wearing his long, dark leather coat, only having removed his boots.

"It must not be very comfortable to sleep with" the brunette sighed, leaning down to look at his face.

Even if he was in a rather odd position, Aerith could clearly see that behind his pale hair, his features were calm, almost peaceful. In fact, she couldn't remember ever seeing him with such a nice expression on his cold figure. Thinking about the comforting sentence he had offered her the last evening, she felt a gentle smile grace her lips as she studied his appearance.

"He sure did surprise me!" she told herself, realising that maybe, there was more to him than she previously thought.

Then, she carefully sat on the edge of his bed as she remembered her night spent under the shining dark sky, hoping to see a bright wishing star grace the black heavens.

"I wished to send him back to his death, so I could live happily in Radiant Garden" she remembered silently, ashamed at herself.

"…It was so mean of me!" the half-Cetra sighed, shaking her head sadly as she found herself to be quite grateful about the fact that she didn't see any unnatural star.

Raising her eyes to look at his face again, she finally admitted to herself that the other girls didn't suffer of any eye defect. Now that all traces of madness were gone from his stunning features, he was quite attractive, maybe one of the best looking man she had ever met.

Not to mention that he had wonderful, silky hair that fell on his back like silver satin and were long enough to easily surpass her own, giving him an attractive yet unnatural look. But, since he was her enemy and had caused so much suffering to her friends and herself, her vision was blinded by her past memories of him, not allowing her to see him as a man, but only as a selfish, cold-blooded monster.

"But…no one can blame me for it! After all…he _did_ kill me, and didn't care about it in the least! I have every right to wish for his death" she thought in the farthest reaches of her mind.

At that same moment, Sephiroth stirred slightly in his sleep and turned his head on the side, now facing her directly. As he moved, his silver bangs moved away from half of his face, revealing more eye candy for the young woman.

"Ohh…what will I do? I'm so confused! There's no way I can forgive him, even less like him, even if he was able to cheer me up. Who knows what he is planning? And besides…he manipulated Zack's spirit! No, I'll never forgive him for it!" she thought angrily, wondering if it wouldn't have been better for her to see a shooting star after all.

As the battle in her weary mind continued to rage, Sephiroth's eyes fluttered open, allowing her to be the first thing he saw as he woke up. Instantly awake and alert, he straightened himself to sit more comfortably, raising an eyebrow as he waited for her to explain why she was sitting on his bed and staring.

This caused the battle inside her mind to transform into pure, contradicting emotions as she blushed slightly, lost between anger, embarrassment and shame. Unable to bear his questioning glance, Aerith turned her eyes away, her shame finally winning the conflict raging inside her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, slowly getting off the bed to hide herself behind the bathroom door, keeping her head slightly bowed as she went.

Wondering what the hell was wrong with her, he raised an eyebrow, thinking that she was a rather strange creature. But, after waking up to escape an unwanted dream, he had other things in his mind right now, like trying to figure out why Zack's memories appeared in his sleeping subconscious.

"I was certain to have been able to sake him off completely before leaving the stream" he reflected, a bit concerned about the fact that, maybe, there was still something of Zack left inside him.

One hour later, they gathered all their belongings and Aerith paid for the room before they finally went to meet up with Orelle. They were supposed to meet right outside the village, and Orelle was already there, waiting patiently under the burning sun. As soon as they reached her, she cheerfully waved her hand to salute them, not having lost a single inch of her perfection.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked, giving them a radiant smile that slightly showed her straight, white pearls.

"Yes" Aerith answered while Sephiroth didn't even bother to show a single hint of answer.

"It looks like someone didn't, though" Orelle laughed, attracting a giggle from Aerith as Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"Well, the sun is really beginning to give me a headache, so we should go now" the blonde added, receiving an approving nod from Aerith.

On that note, the girls began travelling side by side, followed by a silent shadow contrasting with their glowing brightness. As they walked, the sun rays seemed to be unnaturally absorbed by the blonde's tanned skin, shining upon her lean frame like a golden aura. Her long, straight hair fell on her back like a river of glowing gold, dancing at the end of her hips with each one of her graceful steps.

Anyone who saw her was certainly thinking that she was quite a sight to behold, including Aerith. But, right now, the brunette couldn't possibly care less.

"He really healed every last of my silly complexes" she thought, struggling to suppress an amused smile as she walked, trying to listen to what Orelle was saying at the moment.

While the girls were cheerfully talking about all kinds of insignificant things, Sephiroth observed them silently, noticing that the brunette seemed to be much more at ease than the day before.

"Hmph. At least, she got my point" he thought in the back of his mind, trying to ignore the burning of the sun radiating violently upon his black, shiny coat, making him feel like he was walking in a giant oven.

Even if he particularly disliked pink, he had to admit that Aerith had been wise to put on a light pink dress instead of choosing dark clothes. But, adding to the unbearable heat of the day, she had let her hair fall freely on her tiny back like a veil of chestnut curls.

"He used to love her hair" he suddenly remembered, cursing himself for the tiny pieces of memory that Zack had left within him.

Lost in his thoughts, he let his gaze wander around the wavy hair gracing Aerith's back, staring absently, without really caring about it. After all, she was directly in front of him and he didn't have anything else in particular to catch his attention.

But, the young woman soon felt his absent gaze burning a hole through her back and turned her head on the side, looking at him with the corner of her eye as she raised an eyebrow. Noticing the situation, Orelle turned as well and smiled mischievously, ready to embarrass someone.

"Well, aren't you a lucky girl?" she teased, looking at the brunette playfully.

Suddenly feeling a mix of frustration and indignation flow through her veins, Aerith frowned angrily.

"Are you mad?" she groaned, feeling a strange shiver run up her spine as Sephiroth rolled his eyes and looked away, obviously annoyed.

The blonde looked thoughtful for a moment as the frustration tainting Aerith's voice rang a bell in her mind. Then, she frowned before replying in a serious tone.

"Do you hate each other?"

"Yes" "No", came the simultaneous answers.

Surprisingly, Aerith was the one who said yes.

"I…see" Orelle sighed, shaking her head in a dismissive manner.

Then, everyone fell deadly silent, each lost in their own inner thoughts.

'Like hell he doesn't hate me! You don't kill someone out of friendship, as far as I know!' Aerith angrily thought, stubbornly clenching her jaw.

Knowing exactly what the pink clad girl was thinking, Sephiroth wished to get as far away from her as possible, and decided to do it as soon as he had the chance to. Anyway, she wasn't of any use to him and only served as a burden, annoyingly slowing him down.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, Orelle let out a heavy, exasperated sigh before placing herself right in their way, efficiently blocking their path.

"Listen. I won't claim to know any of you, and I don't have the slightest idea of what your back story is, but…I do know one thing" she started, putting a hand on her hip.

Aerith's surprised gaze told her to continue, and she did just that.

"There's a strong shadow lurking over you, a dark past that keeps you tied to each other…You are both struggling against that inescapable curse, but as long as you don't learn to accept the reality surrounding you, as long as you try to reject that shadow, it's darkness will keep following you, for the rest of your lives" Orelle firmly declared, surprising Aerith even more.

Looking at her with a seriousness that she didn't show often, Orelle put a gentle hand on Aerith's shoulder before speaking again.

"It's true that he doesn't hate you, and I can easily tell that you can't hate anyone, including him"

Letting the words sink in, Aerith lowered her sad emerald gaze to the ground, realising the whole meaning of Orelle's declaration. Ever since the day Sephiroth had destroyed her life, she never stopped struggling against the harsh reality, wishing that she could still be beside Cloud and the others.

Now that she had the chance to start a new life, she woke up each morning with a feeling of loss hidden deep within the farthest reaches of her scarred heart, lurking on her life as a dark shadow trying to overpower her. After her death, she had never let any smile reach her eyes, lying to herself and others as she pretended to be happy.

But, maybe now was the time to find a way to get free from that curse? Maybe the fact that Sephiroth was right beside her could be her only salvation?

'Yes. It's pointless to struggle against a forgotten past' she decided inwardly, a gentle smile slowly gracing her lips as she turned to look at Sephiroth again.

"Why don't you walk beside us, Seph, instead of staying behind?" she asked softly, intertwining her hands behind her back.

Even if he was displeased by the nickname, the silver haired man said nothing of it, still thinking about the obvious reality painted all over Orelle's speech. That girl was certainly more than what could be seen at first glance.

Keeping his cold mask, he finally joined Aerith's side, unable to stop thinking about what he just heard. Was he really struggling against his past? No, that couldn't be possible. He didn't regret a thing, except the fact that he failed in destroying his home planet. Maybe that was what she meant?

"Now that's better!" Orelle cheerfully exclaimed, removing herself from the way.

The small conflict now resolved, they resumed their travel, satisfied smiles gracing the girl's faces.

"Thank you" Aerith whispered to Orelle.

"It was nothing, really"

Having a slight sense of deja-vu, Aerith let out a small giggle, gaining Orelle's attention.

"Did I say something funny?"

"No, not at all, it's just that you reminded me of my younger sister. She has a really strong intuition" the half-Cetra explained.

"Well, it's an ability that many Cetra women have. Our intuition is sharpest than that of the men, who are better in battle. But that's just the general idea, since a lot of men are intuitive too. But don't think that every Cetra are bright, oh no, a lot of them are really dumb, you know" Orelle explained, returning to her normal, cheerful mood.

"I guess, but my sister is really exceptional…I…miss her so very much" the brunette sighed, wondering what Kitakaze had thought of her sudden, unexplained departure.

"Is she as pretty as you?" Orelle playfully asked, a radiant smile shining upon her unearthly features.

"Hm, well, yes, she is good looking" Aerith giggled, saddened at the idea of leaving Orelle's presence soon.

As much as the blonde had made her uncomfortable the day before, Aerith now felt as if they could become best friends.

---------------

At the same moment, Kitakaze was leaning on the counter at the weapon shop, awfully bored as nobody had entered the place for the last hour. Sighing heavily, she let her eyes wander to the corner of the shop, regaining a little interest as she saw Tenzen, sitting on a wooden chair and carefully polishing his sword.

He was so absorbed by his precise occupation that he never noticed her staring. For that, she was quite grateful, since she could look at him as much as she wanted.

"Or maybe he noticed, but decided to ignore me" she thought in the back of her mind, sighing again at the slightly depressing idea.

Being seven years younger than him, she had never tried anything, even if he had caught her attention a long time ago. Not to mention that he never seemed to notice her too much, detail that was able to kill any wish that could have formed in the far reaches of her heart. But, now that he was obviously interested in Aerith, she wasn't going to act any time soon.

"I'm the one who didn't do anything when I had the chance" she told herself, wishing that her sister would come back soon and stop torturing him.

Right now, as he was taking good care of his shining, silver blade, Kitakaze could easily guess that he was thinking about her, another reason as to why he was deeply lost in his own inner world.

"…Doesn't she realise how worried she makes Ifalna and everyone?" she wondered, sighing again.

This time, though, her sign of boredom didn't go unnoticed, and the object of her obvious staring raised his sky blue gaze to meet hers. Deciding to act as if she wasn't observing him at all, she smiled innocently, not showing any sign of embarrassment.

"…You can go, you know…this isn't exactly a busy day" he said, putting his weapon against the nearest wall.

Frowning slightly, she wondered if he wanted her to leave him alone, but decided to say it in a more polite way.

"Well…hum…if that's what you want…"

"In fact…no, that's not what I want"

"Huh?"

Wondering if she had heard correctly, she waited for him to add something.

"I'm awfully bored too. I don't feel like working at all. I think I'll close the shop for the day"

"I see…"

"Do you want to take a walk with me?" he asked, not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts.

Even if Kitakaze was delightfully surprised by the proposition, she didn't let her happiness show as she accepted, giving him a friendly smile.

"Alright. But…" he let his eyes wander around her long sleeved jacket, frowning slightly.

"Do you want to leave that here? It's not exactly cold today. In fact…you seem to be wearing nothing else than long sleeved shirts since the last few days. It's not like you…" he remarked, knowing that she probably couldn't bear the heat with clothes like that.

"Hum…well…huh…" she struggled, frantically searching for an available answer.

Her reaction was more than enough to make him understand that there was something strange going on. Not to mention that the heat was unbearable enough to wear nothing at all and still sweat like hell.

"Are you trying to hide something?" he asked suspiciously, crossing the distance between them.

Unable to say anything to defend herself, Kitakaze lowered her eyes to the ground, knowing that she had been caught. Anyway, she would have had to reveal her secret sooner or later.

"...You're right, I...I can show you... But…promise me you won't tell anyone?" she said, raising her gaze to look at him with pleading eyes.

"If you wish it…alright, I promise"

Swallowing hard as a knot tied itself in the bottom of her stomach, she slowly removed her jacket, under which she wore a red camisole. As soon as her arms and shoulders were free from any kind of clothing, she saw Tenzen's eyes become wide with worry as he looked at her purple stained skin, holding his breath under the shock. Never in his life had he seen something like that, and the sight was rather alarming.

"H-How…" he managed to say, raising his troubled gaze to meet her teary eyes.

"I…don't know" she lied, hastily putting her jacket back in place and turning her eyes away, terribly ashamed of herself.

Then, the room went silent for a few seconds as Tenzen absorbed the disturbing information before finally speaking again.

"Well…we'll go for a walk now, I guess. …A walk…to the doctor's office" he decided, grabbing her hand in his and leading her outside, ignoring her protestations.

"Please! You said that you'd keep it secret!" she complained as he closed the door behind them.

"Yes, and I _will_ keep silent, but you absolutely have to see a doctor, _now_!" he insisted in a firm voice, clearly showing that he was going to force her if he had to.

On that note, he locked the door and gave her a reassuring smile as he saw her watery eyes. No matter how hard she struggled to fight back tears, they still gathered at the corner of her golden brown orbs.

"Shall we go now? I assure you that I'll keep the secret if you at least try to help yourself" he said softly and sincerely.

Blinking to chase her salty tears away, she nodded silently, feeling somewhat relieved to finally have someone to share her burden with.

--------------------

In the middle of the afternoon, Aerith and her two companions finally made it to the enormous city of Repex, where the famous wizard Orelle talked about lived. When they entered the town, Orelle gave a piece of paper to Aerith, smiling cheerfully as she did so.

"It's my personal address. I hope you'll write me some letters, because it would be nice to keep in touch!"

"Oh, thanks! Of course I'll write!" the pink clad girl exclaimed, pleasantly surprised by the offer.

"I'm glad. Well, the wizard lives in a small, strange house at the northern end of the city. I would like to go with you, but I don't have any business there, so I think I'll rest a little at the inn before going back home"

"I see. Thank you so much for leading us here"

"It was a pleasure!"

Knowing that the time to part had finally come, the two girls fell in a sad silence for a few moments before they shared a short, friendly hug. Then, they finally parted, each going on their own direction.

Walking along the crowded streets, Sephiroth and his pink clad companion didn't take any time to look around the tall buildings and beautiful sights, hoping to reach their destination as soon as possible.

Unlike the village where they had just came from, this place was huge and filled with intrigued people whose eyes followed their every movement, especially Sephiroth's. But, fortunately enough, their gazes didn't seem to hold anything more than curiosity.

A while later, they were inside a dusty library in the lobby of the old wizard's home. While Sephiroth was subtly asking about who held the power in that world and how, Aerith enjoyed herself, reading tour guides and absorbing information about the prettiest places available to visit.

Getting more and more excited as she read, the brunette could hardly wait to pursue her "vacation". But, as she was also interested in what Sephiroth wanted to know, she distantly listened to their conversation.

"This world always knew peace. We have laws that prevents anyone from trying to take control of more than one city at once. Like many other living beings, the Cetras have a natural thirst for power. In the past, some people tried to overpower others. But…each person here has a special ability, and no one is truly more powerful than the others. That's why we learned to control that thirst, so we wouldn't end up annihilating each other like a bunch of blind creatures" the old man explained while Aerith wondered how that could possibly interest Sephiroth.

"I see"

"The people do not run after trouble either. But if trouble finds them…you can be sure that their response will be quick" the old man added in a light voice, not making it sound the least bit like a threat.

Then, Sephiroth went silent for a while, obviously lost in thoughts as Aerith continued to read her vacation guides, dreaming over the images of a piece of land called "Eden", where one could supposedly find the prettiest lake in the entire world. Seeing that Sephiroth wasn't talking anymore, she joined his side to show him the object of her excitement.

"You see those pictures? It's so pretty! I absolutely want to go there next" she beamed, ready to see him raise an annoyed eyebrow or tell her something like 'all right, go alone'.

But, to her surprise, he nodded silently, not showing any sign of frustration. In fact, his face was even more devoid of any emotion than it usually was.

"What? You're not going to protest?" she asked just to make sure that she didn't imagine the last few seconds.

"No, why should I?"

"Hum…well…"

Shaking his head slightly before letting out a tired sigh, he decided to tell her the reason behind his indifference.

"I still need time to think"

"Oh…"

Wondering if it was a good or a bad sign, she turned to look at the old man, who was observing them with an amused smile.

"Can I keep this guide, sir?" she asked, showing him the colourful magazine.

"Yes, of course" the wizard answered in his elderly voice, looking at her with wise eyes that made her feel a little uneasy.

"Thank you. I guess we'll be going now. Is that ok with you, Seph?" the brunette asked, smiling at her silent companion.

"Yes" was the only answer she received before they finally left the place.

-----------------

Some time later, Kitakaze went out of the doctor's office, rejoining Tenzen who waited in the restroom.

"So, how did it go?" he asked, even if her deceived face already gave him an answer.

"He doesn't know what it is. Not at all. He said that he never saw anything like that…" the girl answered in a shaky voice, ready to burst out in tears.

Not knowing what to say to comfort her, Tenzen sighed softly, rising from his sitting place to leave the building. Putting a gentle hand on her back, he lead her outside, feeling her tremble slightly under his feathery touch. While they silently walked back outside, her entire body was visibly tense as she struggled to keep cool, forcing her sad feelings to stay deeply buried in the darkest reaches of her soul.

As they reached Ifalna's home, Kitakaze forced her trembling voice to work, looking in the blue depths of his eyes with her pleading gaze.

"I don't want to go back home yet…I…don't want to see mom right now…and I…don't think that I can bear to be alone…" she stammered, trying not to sound too much like a hopeless, broken little doll.

"Where do you want to go, then? I'll stay with you" he reassured her, feeling as if his own heart was tearing apart under her crumbled aura.

"I want to sit near the waterfall"

On that note, they resumed their walk and finally reached the waterfall, which was desert as if to let them be in peace. Seeing that nobody was around, Kitakaze finally broke down, throwing herself in his arms as she cried her heart out, unable to stop the warm tears from leaving her eyes as her entire body trembled violently.

Many years had passed by since she had cried so badly, and it was amazingly nice to pour her heart out without any restraint. In other circumstances, she would have been overwhelmed by the delightful sensation of him holding her, but the strength of her sorrow didn't even allow her to think about it. Right now, she just wanted someone to save her. Anyone.

**A/N: The next chapter will reveal the decision of Sephiroth and the impact it will have on his interaction with Aerith. As for Aerith's feelings, she had a fast changing mood towards Sephiroth because she was still seeing him as an enemy. That's why I made someone (Orelle) interfere, so that they would finally be able to get along. And…did you think that Seph would be able to succeed in mingling with Zack and come out unscathed? Well, the answer is no! But don't worry, it will only cause slight details to happen, making the story advance. He won't change personalities or anything, lol. So, I hope you enjoyed this huge chapter (I think it's the longest so far…) And don't forget to review!**


	9. Decision

**I don't own anything!**

**A/N : Here's a new chapter for you, lol. From now on, I'll try to update every Friday, school is taking a whole lot of my time now, and it will only be worst in the next weeks, but, I'll keep this up at least once a week. This chapter was intended to be much longer, but…lol … Sephiroth's new behaviour will be explored further in the next one. **

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The night after their rather short visit to the wizard's house, they had decided to sleep outside, since Aerith didn't have money to spare on a hotel room. As Sephiroth was sitting on the soft grass of an endless plain, the half-Cetra slept peacefully, laying on her back, her curly hair spreading around her. Fortunately, she had brought some thin blankets with her as she left Radiant Garden, and wasn't forced to sleep directly on the tickling grass.

Unable to force his mind to sleep and finally shut down his thoughts, the silver haired man looked to the far horizon, not really seeing anything that was in front of him as his mind was too preoccupied, reflecting about his purpose in life, and the choices that were left for him.

Now that he had spent some time observing the people populating this world and understood a bit more how their politics worked, he found himself lost in a void of indecision. After meeting Orelle, he knew without a single doubt that every Cetra that crossed his path knew that he wasn't one of them.

They probably even guessed that he was a dangerous man. But, even if they were well aware of it, nobody made a move to show that he wasn't very welcome in their world. Not a single soul had gave him threatening looks or said anything to provoke him.

Like the old wizard said, the Cetras obviously learned the meaning of the word "peace". Realising all that, Sephiroth found himself unable to find any motivation to harm them or their world. Trying to clear his mind, he reminded himself of the reasons that pushed him to try to destroy his home planet.

"Shinra. I wanted to get rid of them. To avenge myself after realising that I was a monster created with a specific purpose and having my whole life written by another hand than mine. To make people suffer for all their pathetic, destructive existences…"

All those reasons were obvious and completely comprehensible to him. For him, it was only natural to destroy them without any regrets.

"I thought that they deserved it. But…the real reason behind it all…was revenge. Yes, I wanted to make the entire world pay for my suffering" he admitted to himself.

Now that he was in a new, totally different world, his reasons didn't fit anymore. There was no Shinra, no past to gain revenge from…nothing. He knew that nobody would wrong him as long as he didn't wrong them, and he always held some kind of respect for the Cetra race.

Not to mention that he couldn't rely on Jenova anymore. In the past, he could say that he did it for "his mother". To avenge her. But that excuse wasn't available anymore, either.

"If I should decide to live here like a normal person, I know that no one would bother me. This world is…flawless. We didn't encounter a single monster since our departure. Nobody judges unless they have a reason to" he thought, feeling unbearably weak.

Never in his life did he feel so lost, so worthless. He didn't have any purpose left. In life, he only knew how to destroy, kill and conquer. What goal could be left for him if he couldn't find a way to do what he was born for?

No matter how high his thirst for power was, he knew that he would never find the determination to try to take over the Cetra's world. To act, a person needs to have a goal, something that pushes them to continue on their way without faltering. Someone who did not have the will to do something could not act.

"Aerith would undoubtedly be the first one to stand in my way if I tried anything. …As strange as it may seem, I don't want to kill her again. Besides…I wouldn't know where to start" he reflected, sighing softly as he turned his glowing gaze to look at the sleeping woman.

She seemed to be so peaceful, living far away dreams as a gentle smile graced her pink lips. The moon was shining upon her features like a silver veil, making her look like a unearthly angel untainted by the darkness of the night.

"I guess I'll have to find myself a new reason to life…a new purpose" he decided, hoping that sleep would come to claim him soon.

------------------

Two days later…

Three hours after he opened his shop for the day, Tenzen looked at his watch, getting increasingly worried with each passing minute. Kitakaze was late, and she normally was very punctual. Not as much as Aerith, but still…

Also, he had observed her since he knew about her strange sickness, and had remarked that she sometimes rubbed her forearms as if in pain. Unable to bear his stress anymore, he hastily closed his shop temporarily, immediately heading to Ifalna's house.

Silently whishing that Kitakaze was well, he knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before an angry Ifalna answered.

"Oh, Tenzen. I'm sorry, my stubborn daughter doesn't want to get out of bed!" she exclaimed.

"…Can I see her?" he asked, trying to hide his worry.

"Yes, she's in her room. She locked the door, though, and refuses to let me enter!" Ifalna fumed, her face red with exasperation.

Nodding his understanding, he entered the house and went to Kitakaze's room.

"…Who's there?" the girl asked from behind the door as she heard him knock.

"It's me. …Are you alright?"

"…Tenzen?"

"Yes. Can I come in?"

A moment later, he heard a click and opened the door before entering and closing it behind him. As he did so, Kitakaze was already back on her bed, laying heavily on her light covers, her tired face pressed against her soft, white pillow. Her eyes were closed and her body was awfully still, making him wonder if she hadn't already fell asleep.

"…I'm sorry…I…won't work today…" she whispered, breaking the illusion.

Getting more and more worried, he approached her, searching all over his mind to find a way to help her.

"…I'm…so tired…" she sighed, visibly struggling to stay awake.

"You're not well, Kita. We have to do something" he exclaimed, his worry beginning to transform into panic.

"Hm…" she whispered, letting out a sweet sigh before falling asleep.

'…Shit' Tenzen thought, feeling completely helpless.

Then, a bright idea crossed his mind, and he swiftly took her limp, heavy body in his arms, removing her from her bed and heading out of the room without bothering to cover her as she wore a simple night-gown that clearly showed her wounds. Seeing him come out with her daughter's unconscious body, Ifalna frowned, then remarked the disturbing secret Kitakaze had tried so hard to hide.

"Good god, what the hell is that?" she exclaimed, her entire body trembling with horror.

"I don't know…but I'm taking her to Repex, now" he decided, not wanting to loose any time.

"..To see that weird wizard? But…at least, let me dress her properly…"

"Alright"

He then took the unconscious girl to her mother's bedroom, placing her on the mattress before leaving to let Ifalna dress her daughter by herself.

------------------

At the same time, near the famous lake of Eden, Sephiroth awoke in the small forest where they had decided to set camp. After two days of travel, they had finally reached their destination. But, as they only arrived late on the previous night, Aerith had been too tired to enjoy the sights yet and fell asleep as soon as the camp was ready.

But now, as Sephiroth awoke from an extremely disturbing dream, he was quite grateful to notice that she had already left camp to go to the lake. In fact, he truly didn't want to see her right now as he finally escaped that cursed dream, covered in sweat.

Disgusted, he let out a groan as he felt the leather of his clothes stick to him like a second skin. Trying to ignore the hair that stubbornly stuck to his face, he removed his coat, eager to feel some fresh air on his warm skin.

"Damn you, Zack…" he muttered under his breath, trying to get the disturbing images out of his head.

Of all the unwanted dreams he had, that one was the worst of all, making him learn some details that he would have preferred not to know. But, what disturbed him the most was the effect it had on him.

"Hmph. Pathetic" he groaned, deciding to go rejoin Aerith even if he was still shaken by that last piece of memory.

Leaving his coat and boots behind, he left the forest and reached the lake, noticing that Aerith was swimming, wearing a pink bikini. Getting frustrated, he rolled his eyes, wishing that she didn't wear something so revealing. Anyway, he decided to sit on the edge of the lake, waiting for her to notice him. But, as she was enjoying herself thoroughly, that wasn't bound to happen soon.

Just as the vacation guide had mentioned, the lake was quite beautiful, probably the prettiest he had ever seen. It's clear, blue water was greatly mingled with glowing swirls of Lifestream, shining under the burning sun like a sea of green diamonds. In the middle of that radiant pool, Aerith dove deeper in the comfortable liquid, swimming gracefully. With each movement of her slim, bare legs, the water glowed even more, giving her a breathtaking, unearthly look.

Soon, Sephiroth found himself staring, folowing her calm movements with his reptilian gaze, completely absorbed by the stunning sight. In the middle of that unnatural flow, she looked like a heavenly, untouchable being, floating around the shining wetness like she was born from it.

Then, she stuck her head out of the water to take a deep breath, her back facing him as she slid her delicate hands along her dark, drenched curls to place them behind her ears.That done, she laid on her back to let herself float on the surface, looking straight at the bright blue sky as her hands drew strange pictures on the pure liquid, still not noticing Sephiroth. Obviously, she was lost in her own inner world and didn't care about anything else.

But, the silver haired man was annoyingly feeling the effects of his staring, not to mention that the dream was painfully fresh in his mind. As she continued to draw unknown pictures, he felt the urge to immerge himself in the lake and grab her in one rough, swift move. The only thing that kept him glued to his spot was the fact that she looked like an untainted being, something sacred that could never be touched. In the back of his mind, he hoped that she would get away from his sight so that he could finally cool down and return to his normal state.

"I'm the one who should get away" he scolded himself, still unable to move a single inch.

Often in his life, he had enjoyed the company of women, even if he knew that they only wanted him for his reputation and his looks. But, right now, he realised that he didn't look at a single woman since the day he burned Nibelheim to the ground. Obviously, Aerith (and Zack) had made him remember those years long past. But, Aerith wasn't like any other girl he had before. She was unattainable. She had a strong, unwilling mind, also.

"I used to get women that weren't really recommendable" he remembered, smirking as he thought about the fact that he never really cared about them anyway.

Then, a cheerful voice resonated suddenly, making him jump right out of his thoughts. Now facing him, a delighted smile radiating upon her endearing features, Aerith waited for him to answer a question that he didn't understand.

"Huh?"

At that exact moment, Sephiroth wondered if he ever looked more pathetic in his entire life.

"I said, do you want to join me?" she repeated, still smiling as her wet skin glowed under the sun.

"…No" he answered, trying to sound as cold as possible.

"Why? The water is nice" she insisted, clearly oblivious to what was going on in his mind.

Trying to ignore the way her wavy hair stuck to her pale, flawless skin, he shook his head dismissively, hoping that she'd get the message. Shrugging her shoulders, she then dove once again in the glowing depths, totally forgetting him once again.

Finally, the swordsman decided that he'd had more than enough and forced himself to his feet, quickly disappearing in the forest. Right now, he needed to kill something. But, as there was no monsters in this world, or at least very few, he decided to pour his frustration into a series of Katas, ready to evacuate all his negative energy.

-----------------

In the middle of the afternoon, Tenzen reached the city of Repex, finding himself to be quite grateful to have reached his destination, because Kitakaze's unconscious body was getting rather heavy. Ifalna had decided to accompany him, but she obviously couldn't carry her daughter, since she hadn't the strength for it.

So, when they finally reached the wizard's home, Ifalna knocked on the door, and the old man soon answered, making them enter without any question as he saw Kitakaze.

"What in the world happened to this young lady?" the elder asked, obviously intrigued.

"That's what we want to know" Ifalna said, not bothering to hide her worry.

"Hum...maybe we should wake her up" the old man proposed, as Tenzen placed her on a wooden table, the only "bed" available.

Then, the wizard prepared a strange potion and made her inhale the emanations, getting an instant effect as Kitakaze twitched slightly, frowning as she let out a slight groan of protestation. A few moments later, she was fully awake, looking around as she wondered where the hell she was.

"We are in Repex. In decided to take you to him" Tenzen explained as Kitakaze looked at the strange wizard.

"I see" she said, visibly not convinced.

Right now, she was too confused to be angry at Tenzen for breaking his promise, but she made sure to talk to him about it later.

"So, young lady, would you like to explain how you got that strange sickness?" the elder asked, breaking her train of thoughts.

Swallowing hard, Kitakaze tried not to look at her bare arms that were now completely purple and, to be honest, quite repulsive.

"…I…some time ago, I…felt a strange presence in the forest in Radiant Garden. So, I went to investigate and…I found a weird, unconscious man, laying on the ground. He…was covered with purple stains like that, so…I wanted to help him, you see…I touched him to analyse his wounds and…that's when…I was infected…" she explained, not daring to look at anyone as she spoke.

"I see…you said that he was strange hum?" said the old man, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes…but that's because…he was human"

"What?" exclaimed both Ifalna and Tenzen, looking at her with wide eyes.

Now, everything was begining to get clear.

"Please, don't give me a hard time about it! I…only wanted to help him! …Because I knew…Aerith was the one who brought him here so I thought…" Kitakaze tried to explain, getting more ashamed at each word that rolled over her tongue.

Ifalna and Tenzen were now awfully silent, holding their breath as they waited for the rest of the story.

"So, my guesses were correct" the wizard mumbled.

"What?" Kitakaze asked, wondering if he had found the solution to her problem.

"Some days ago, a young woman and a human male came here. They looked for information. He asked me a lot of things about the political structure how our world. As for the girl, she only read my vacation guides" he explained, smiling as he remembered Aerith's cheerful face.

"…What did that man look like?" Ifalna asked, terribly afraid of the answer.

"He was incredibly tall and had long, silver hair"

"No!" Ifalna screamed, unable to stop herself from panicking.

"What is it?" Tenzen asked, feeling his blood rush furiously in his veins.

"That's…oh my god, there's no doubt about it…so that's why she decided to leave the city…" Ifalna realised, terribly afraid of what would become of her two daughters.

"What's wrong?" Kitakaze asked, getting panicked as well.

"That man. It's Sephiroth"

"Who's that?" the girl asked.

"The man who murdered your sister"

"What! Are you kidding?" exclaimed Kitakaze, now feeling as if she had made the greatest mistake of her life by letting Aerith get away with him.

"No, there's no doubt that it's him. She must have left to follow him wherever he was going, so that she could make sure he wasn't going to bring trouble upon us" Ifalna explained, her face drained of all colour.

As for Tenzen, he stayed deadly silent, too stunned and afraid for Aerith's life to say or do anything.

"Yes, that man was the spawn of the crisis from the skies. But…it appears that he lost his Jenova gene by coming to this sacred world. That's how this young lady got infected by…the one and only virus that banished our entire race from the human's planet all those years ago"

Now, everyone looked at the wizard with horror written all over their faces. Even a fool would have understood that his words were as good as a death sentence for Kitakaze. No Cetra ever survived that virus, and no cure had ever been found.

"I…I'm…going to…die?" she tried to say, feeling silent tears roll down her pale cheeks.

"Now now, don't jump to conclusions. I believe that this man may be the key to your salvation" the elder declared, referring to Sephiroth.

"…Alright, then. I'll find him" Tenzen decided.

"No, maybe we should go back to Radiant Garden and tell the governors about our situation? That way, we'll be able to bring more people with us" Ifalna wisely proposed.

"…Yes, you're right" the young man admitted, even if he wanted to go right now and find Aerith before it was too late.

"Sir, did they tell you where they would be going next?" Ifalna asked.

"Yes, the young woman wanted to go spent some time at Eden's lake"

"Good. We should head back now, there's no time to loose" The woman added, gaining an approving nod from Tenzen.

Then, they quickly thanked the old wizard before swiftly exiting the town, heading back to Radiant Garden.

------------------

That night, Aerith and Sephiroth were sitting on the dry, leaves covered ground of the small forest near the lake, readying themselves to get to sleep. After spending the day running around to pick flowers and swimming, Aerith was quite tired and a bit sore. But, that didn't stop her from deciding that they would leave early in the morning to reach another of the attractive places shown in the vacation guide.

When she had told him her plans, Sephiroth didn't protest, even though he was getting a bit frustrated, feeling as if he was only a puppet for her to carry around. All his life, _he_ was the one giving orders and making decisions, never letting anyone else do it for him. But now, she decided everything, and he felt disturbingly powerless.

"So…have you decided? I mean…you said that you needed more time to think…" Aerith suddenly asked, breaking his train of thoughts.

"…Yes, I guess I did decide…" he mumbled, not wanting to talk about it.

"What are you going to do?"

"…Nothing"

"I…see…" Aerith said, wondering what was really going on in his mind.

Even she knew that if he didn't have some kind of master plan to carry out, Sephiroth wouldn't know what to do with his life. Especially since he didn't belong in this world. Understanding the fact that he was probably annoyingly confused, she decided not to push the question any more and laid on her blanket, ready to close her eyes and welcome the dreams that would take over her tired mind.

**----------------**

**A/N: I decided to picture Sephiroth as a man who knows what a woman is, instead of portraying him like a lost, troubled guy who's afraid of others. So, I hope you liked this chapter, and don't forget to review, it will help me write faster!**


	10. Sweetly evil

**Don't own anything. **

**A/N: I was supposed to post this one on Friday, but as you can see, I wasn't able to, lol. Anyway, I didn't have much reviews to boost my inspiration, so… But, I thank all the people who reviewed and are following the story. I welcome any kind of commentaries, constructive ones, of course, they help me try to get better. So, I hope you like this new chapter!**

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A reminder of the ending of Chap.9…

Even she knew that if he didn't have some kind of master plan to carry out, Sephiroth wouldn't know what to do with his life. Especially since he didn't belong in this world. Understanding the fact that he was probably annoyingly confused, she decided not to push the question any more and laid on her blanket, ready to close her eyes and welcome the dreams that would take over her tired mind.

…This one starts right after that, I decided to precise it so nobody would be confused.

---------------------

An hour later, Aerith was sound asleep as Sephiroth was still sitting beside her, lost in his silent thoughts as he looked at the dreaming woman. Drenched in the silver light of the shining moon glowing through the dark foliage surrounding the forest, she seemed to be so fragile, so easy to destroy...and those details didn't help him to tear his gaze away…on the contrary, it only made her more…beautiful and ...endearing.

Now that he was often haunted by Zack's dearest memories, seeing images of Aerith that showed a part of her soul that she kept hidden from him, Sephiroth couldn't look at her the same way as he did before. Now, when his reptilian gaze met her small form, he saw a breathtaking, untouchable yet attractive woman, like a prize that would always try to slip away from his tainted grasp.

As dark as it may seem, Sephiroth admitted to himself, the fact that she would rather die than to get involved with him only fuelled his interest. In a sense, his desire to get closer to her felt like some kind of challenge, and he totally needed one in that overly peaceful, annoyingly glowing world.

That thought made him think about the impurities tainting his former home, giving him a devastating purpose in life. If only Cloud didn't manage to destroy him…Naturally, that train of thoughts made him think about his last battle with Cloud, remembering the brigthness surrounding the puppet, drenching his body with rage and overwhelming power. That light, Sephiroth knew it, was the result of his never ending love for the flower girl that now slept beside him, unaware of his reflections. _She _had been the reason for his survival…

"What would Cloud think if he saw me now…sitting beside his dear flower, looking at her while he can only hope to see her in his sweetest dreams?"

A slight smirk appearing on his lips, he realised that the simple fact of being in this world with Aerith was as good as humiliating Cloud by tearing him into tiny little pieces in a sword fight. But…that wasn't satisfying enough for the silver haired man.

"Hmph. That would be even better if I could tear her away from him…completely" he thought, finally laying down on the opposite side of Aerith, his glowing Mako eyes shining mischievously in the darkness of the night as he reflected, waiting for a deep slumber to finally overcome his darkest thoughts.

-------------------

The next morning, Tenzen was in his room, getting ready for his journey to find Aerith and Sephiroth, wishing that she would be alive and well. The last evening, he, along with Kitakaze and Iflana, had gone to see the governors of Radiant Garden and explained the situation. So, Williem, the chief governor, had decided to send them on a mission to search for the missing woman…and her unwanted human companion.

To everyone's surprise, Williem had decided to come as well, to monitor the situation and make sure it didn't go out of control. But, since everyone knew that Aerith most likely wasn't going to stay in the same place for very long, Kitakaze had been demanded to go even thought her health wasn't really at it's best, since she was the only one capable of retracing them.

Of course, her sickness wasn't getting any better, on the contrary, but Tenzen assured her that he would be there to carry her if she felt dizzy. Happy about the fact that she could meet her sister again and repay her mistake of hiding her departure and the existence of Sephiroth, Kitakaze had accepted the proposition cheerfully. Obviously, she didn't admit that the idea of Tenzen carrying her was delightfully pleasant, even if in a couple of days, maybe less, he would be reunited with Aerith and loose all interest in her presence, if he had any at all.

An hour later, Tenzen went to the forest's entrance, where the small group had decided to meet before finally heading out. But, as he arrived early, only Kitakaze was already there, waiting with a bored look set upon her features. She seemed well, and that was enough to draw a smile on his lips as he approached her.

"You're early" he said when she noticed him, offering him a bright smile.

"Yeah, I…wanted to talk to you, alone. …And I know that you're always the first to be there when there's a reunion or something…" she answered.

"I see. What did you want to talk about?…"

Suddenly becoming a bit nervous, Kitakaze intertwined her fingers behind her back, gently playing with the smooth grass, twisting it slightly with her feet as she bowed her head, letting her dark, silky hair fall in front of her vision to hide her expression. But, her nervousness didn't last long and was soon replaced by frustration, the young girl lifting her head swiftly to look him straight in the eye.

"I'm mad at you! You broke your promise! Now the entire city knows that I'm some kind of freak infected by a deadly, disgusting virus! Not to mention everyone who saw my bruises when I was unconscious! She exclaimed, clenching her fists at her side.

"W-what? You're angry for _that_? Tenzen exclaimed, bewildered.

"Of course! You promised me…" she sighed, finally calming down and lowering her face once again.

"…You know that I did it because I had no choice. We…someone needs to help you…"

On that note, Kitakaze couldn't help but blush slightly, feeling a small smile draw itself on her lips as she looked up to loose herself in his endearing, cerulean eyes. Then, she giggled, confusing Tenzen who raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"…You fell for it!" she suddenly exclaimed, delighting herself for some kind of reason that he clearly did not get.

"…What?"

"Did you really think I could be mad at you for that? …I know that you broke your promise because…you cared about what happened to me…" she said softly, a nice smile playing upon her lips.

Closing her eyes, she turned her back on him, bowing her head as she felt her heart beating peacefully under her chest as she took a deep, calming breath.

"…I want to thank you. …Thank you, for trying to save me" she whispered, a sentiment of peace flowing through her entire soul.

Then, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned around to face him again, wishing that she could let go all of her psychological restraints and kiss him on the spot. But, once again, she contented herself with a smile and a shy silence as she looked in the sea of his eyes, hoping he didn't notice how pathetically in love she was.

"…You don't need to thank me…It's only natural. After all…"

Letting his voice trail slightly along the last words, he stopped for a second as Kitakaze held her breath, her heart stopping at the same time. For a slight moment, she allowed herself to hope, her heart tightening almost painfully. Then, they heard the others approaching, indicating that the conversation would soon be over.

"…You are the best friend that I have" he finally said, making her heart sink in the deep reaches of her bleeding soul, almost drawing tears to her eyes as he turned to meet the others, oblivious to her pain.

----------------------

Later that day, Sephiroth and Aerith were walking under the dark, grey sky, heading for a destination that the half-Cetra had chosen. But, after three hours of travel, she was getting hungry and couldn't ignore the aching of her sore muscles anymore.

"…Can we stop now? I need a break!" she complained.

Not caring about it, Sephiroth simply shrugged, telling himself that she always did what she wanted anyway, only asking his opinion to be nice, since she didn't really consider it. But, at least, that's what he thought.

Seeing that he wasn't going to answer anytime soon, she sat on the ground and removed her shoes, starting to rub her feet with a pained expression on her face.

"I hurt so much!" she said before stretching her legs and arms.

Getting amused by her weakness, he felt a shadow of a mocking smile draw itself on his lips as he watched her try to massage herself with some difficulty. Then, a tiny bit of memory flashed in his mind, his grin growing wider as he observed her. Deciding to try and make something useful out of the occasion offering itself to him, he reflected on his next sentence.

"Do you need help?" he asked after a moment, in a slightly mocking tone.

"…What?" Aerith replied, her face betraying her confusion.

Seeing the mocking smile plastered on Sephiroth's face, Aerith raised an eyebrow, wondering if she really did understand the meaning of his words.

'Is he offering me a massage?' she wondered, blinking her surprise.

"…Why?" she finally said, bewildered.

"Well…I know about a time when you liked those things" he explained, totally showing his amusement and waiting for her reaction.

The more time he spent with her, the more he found that teasing her was quite amusing and helped him change his mind. So, he observed her silently as she tried to place her finger on the exact meaning of his allusions.

Then, she remembered her time spent with Zack a long time ago, when he would often try to help her relax by giving her a long, comforting massage that almost always got her on the edge of falling asleep.

'…How can he…know about that?' she thought in the back of her mind, looking at Sephiroth with wide eyes as he silently amused himself.

'Oh…does he…still has some of Zack's memories?' she realised, slowly feeling a rush of boiling anger flow through her veins as an angry shade of red spread to her cheeks.

She stayed still for a second, then slowly got to her feet, shooting a nasty glare in Sephiroth's direction, her hands clenched into fists.

A bit surprised to see how much his seemingly innocent remark had angered her, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, wondering what her next move would be. Then, Aerith took hold of her staff and turned on her heels before walking north, eager to get as far away from him as she could.

Torn between cruel amusement and something close to shame, Sephiroth watched her as she walked away stubbornly without even turning back once to shoot him a venomous glare. Wondering why he even bothered to try to be nice to her, at least in his own, strange way, he turned his gaze away for a moment, wishing once again to be lost somewhere in the glowing swirls of the liquid life gracing his home planet. If he stayed there, maybe he would already be out on the surface, trying to get rid of Cloud once and for all, finally becoming the ruler of Gaia.

'I should leave her and get back…I'm not forced to stay here…there's a way back, isn't there?'

'But…maybe I could still do something about her' he told himself, thinking about his reflections of the past night.

Then, he let his glowing green eyes slid again to Aerith's slender form, now a fair distance away from him. But, as his eyes fell on her, what he saw was, to say the least, unexpected. She had stopped dead on her tracks, holding her staff firmly in front of her as she faced a huge, ugly green monster that didn't seem to be friendly at all.

'Hmph. Why did a monster choose _now_ to show itself?' the silver haired man thought, feeling a wave of adrenaline drenching his senses.

Acting on instinct, Sephiroth swiftly placed his left hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, ready to draw his blade. But, at the last moment, a thought crossed his mind and he stopped in mid-movement, a smirk spreading on his lips as he decided to let her take care of her own problems.

As much as he wanted to immerge himself in the boiling waves of a battle after so much time spent with a lack of enemies, he certainly wasn't going to help a woman who constantly pushed him away.

'Hmph. It's not my problem'

' …… But…… she might get fatally hurt……' he thought in the back of his mind, a strange uneasiness finding it's way through his cold mind.

' …. Why should I care..?' he wondered after a moment, torn between his stubborn nature and the urge to get Aerith out of danger, a need that was quite alien for him, and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling.

As Sephiroth was standing still, trying to make a decision once and for all, Aerith avoided another blow form the monster, trying to steady her breathing. Having been caught totally off-guard, she was very grateful to have her staff with her. But, the fact that she at least had something to defend herself didn't prevent her from trembling out of fear. She wasn't expecting Sephiroth to come help her so she considered herself to be totally on her own to try and destroy her oversized enemy.

While she was trying her best to defend herself, Sephiroth observed her with some interest, starting to think that, maybe, she would be fine. Indeed, she seemed to have learned a couple of good techniques since the last time he saw her fight by Cloud's side, and even if he didn't like to admit it, he was quite impressed. The monster was very swift and she still managed to avoid it's blows, attacking it with powerful Cetra magic when she had an opening to do so, acting in a very strategic manner.

'I wonder who taught her that…'

Getting calmer as he was now certain that she would have no problem at all, he decided to let her win by herself, knowing that she would feel better if she was able to defeat it with her own abilities. After all, she was stubborn enough to be angry at him for helping her …

But, the monster soon began to feel the effects of her attacks and began to charge at her with full force, knowing that it was at a great disadvantage. This time, Aerith was unable to avoid the violent blow sent right in her stomach, sending her to her knees, clutching her abdomen as she frantically tried to regain her breathing.

Taking advantage of the situation, the monster charged into her once again, a disturbing sound of broken bones tearing at the wind as it struck her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. Then, it lifted it's enormous, sharply clawed paw, ready to step angrily on her slim, defenceless form.

"No!" she screamed, placing her forearm in front of her eyes, not wanting to see the huge claw making it's way to her frail body.

But, as she was expecting to be violently crushed on the dirty ground like a pancake, Aerith heard a slashing sound, then a loud thud as the ground shook slightly.

"…Huh?.."

Her body shaking with fear, she removed her arms form her face, and saw that the monster was dead, it's body laying next to her, sliced in two. Then, she raised her eyes to meet Sephiroth's, who cleaned his blade with a simple movement of his left arm before sheathing it at his side.

Still shaken by the shock of having nearly experienced a second and definitive death, she shook like a frightened little girl before crumbling into tears, failing to hear Sephiroth's exasperated sigh as a few raindrops fell on their skin, announcing the coming of a storm.

------------------

Meanwhile…

Sitting in the corner of a hotel room in the middle of a small village, Tenzen looked at Kitakaze with worried eyes. Sleeping on a comfortable bed, a pained expression shadowing her features as a few beads of sweat glistened down her forehead, she twitched slightly as some kind of dream teased at her tired mind.

Almost an hour ago, while they were walking in search of Aerith, her decreasing health had forced them to find a place to rest, not to mention that a storm was making it's way through the sky. Then, to everyone's concern, she had fell asleep as soon as she had found a bed, unable to stay conscious any longer.

Not to mention that sometimes, her normally bright, alert eyes seemed distant, as if she had trouble to stay completely focused on her surroundings. Knowing that the biggest disease to have ever struck the Cetra race caused insanity, that detail wasn't encouraging at all. If a girl as strong willed as her already felt her mind crumble under the weight of that disgusting virus, Tenzen didn't want to imagine how fast it would destroy weaker people, should it spread to others…

Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, feeling a pang of worry weigh down his chest, he then looked at his muscled arms for the third time since the last hour, noticing that the slight, almost unnoticeable purple patches staining him were still there. In fact, even if he didn't want to acknowledge it, Tenzen knew that carrying Kitakaze around without anything to cover his skin wasn't a very good idea, and he was now paying the price for it.

Now, he didn't have to worry only for the life of his dear friend, but for his as well.

------------------

After finding a small cave in which they could hide from the rain, Sephiroth carried a wounded Aerith in his arms, bringing her to his newfound shelter. Once inside, he settled her gently on the hard, flat ground, making sure that she would be as comfortable as possible.

Shivering slightly, she closed her teary eyes as she tried to forget the burning pain running through her whole body with each one of her shaky breaths. Then, she felt a warm hand touch her shoulder softly, carefully, and she opened her emerald orbs to look at Sephiroth, a bit surprised to see that he had removed his gloves to examine her wounds properly.

Letting his hands slide along her bruised skin with a sharp precaution, she couldn't help but flinch under his touch as his fingers brushed against her wounds, sending a burst of electrical pain through her skin. But, Sephiroth knew better than to think that her reaction was only due to that. In fact, she probably wouldn't have reacted at all if it was somebody else who was touching her.

Sighing softly, he raised his glowing eyes to meet hers, wishing that, for once, she could let her uneasiness aside and allow herself to trust him.

"Your shoulder is disembowelled. I can replace it, but…that will most likely be very painful. …Knowing that, will you let me do it?" he asked her, his tone almost neutral, but having a small softness hidden in it.

Not sure if she really heard properly, Aerith observed him for a moment, realising that there was no mockery or anything mischievous emanating from him. Letting a small smile grace her lips, she wondered if, somewhere in the bottom of his tainted soul, he was beginning to care for her, if only a little.

Then, finally making her decision, she nodded slightly, her bright green eyes glowing with sincere, complete trust.

"I assure you, I'll make this quick" he told her firmly, grasping her arm and readying himself.

As he did so, Aerith took a deep breath and held it until he pulled on her arm swiftly but roughly, the gesture immediately shooting pure, blinding pain through Aerith's arm, making a disgusting sound as the bones went back to their normal position. Feeling as if a million needles were piercing her flesh, the half-Cetra screamed, her sharp voice tearing through the air as she twitched on the rocky ground, taking short, shaky breaths as the pain finally flowed away from her limbs.

Glad to see that she was able to stand the pain a bit more than he thought, Sephiroth waited for her to calm down before making sure that she didn't have anymore wounds that needed attention.

'Of course she can take pain…After all… she _did_ feel a six foot sword run through her…' he reminded himself bitterly, wondering if the same thought had crossed her mind.

When she was finally able to get a hold of herself and Sephiroth assured her that she would be fine, Aerith wiped her tears off her face before thanking him with a shaky, small voice. Then, she used her remaining energy to cast a healing spell on herself, easing the last of her pain. A moment later, she closed her heavy eyelids, eager to get some well deserved sleep.

**------------------**

**A/N: So, did you like it? Do you think I'm finally going somewhere with this? I need your opinions, and it's always nice to know who's reading your story. **


	11. Closer

**Don't own.**

**A/N: I decided to put a side note to remind you of the endings of the previous chapters, on the request of Foi. So, I hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

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Here's where we left off :

When she was finally able to get a hold of herself and Sephiroth assured her that she would be fine, Aerith wiped her tears off her face before thanking him with a shaky, small voice. Then, she used her remaining energy to cast a healing spell on herself, easing the last of her pain. A moment later, she closed her heavy eyelids, eager to get some well deserved sleep.

----------------

A few hours later, sitting in a corner of the small cavern, Sephiroth listened to the sound of the rain falling endlessly on the drenched ground as Aerith still slept peacefully, her back facing him

'Maybe I should have helped her sooner…She will be a painfully grumpy after this…' he thought in the back of his mind, still thinking about the cruel blow the monster was about to give her.

Hoping that he was wrong and that she wasn't going to hold it against him like some frustrated child, he let out an exasperated sigh, trying to ignore the fact that if she decided to make him pay for it, he would deserve it.

But, when he had seen the monster lend a blow on her small frame, all interrogations had left his mind in a split-second and he rushed to her side without even thinking. Strangely, he had been afraid for her… and when she broke down in tears in front of him, her shoulders shaking from all kinds of emotions, he had been sincerely relieved to see that she was very well alive. Even if he admitted those facts to himself, Sephiroth still couldn't understand why he felt that way.

After all, he didn't care about her… did he? … She was only a tool for him to play with until he found something better to do, nothing more … There was no way he could feel pointless, human emotions and lower himself to the level of all other beings, who are blindingly following what they call their heart, willingly throwing themselves in the pit of sorrow that would certainly engulf them as soon as their illusionary happiness would be gone, leaving them with nothing more than the suffocating darkness of the harsh reality.

Then, they would cry, scream at the heavens for allowing their suffering, letting a cloud of black despair consume their weak, pathetic soul and destroy them forever.

'Even the greatest light will always, someday, turn black…That's reality.' he thought as a slight smirk drew itself on his lips.

Of course he wasn't like that. …Maybe he wasn't a spawn of Jenova anymore, maybe his body was completely human now…but his mind was way more stronger than that. He would never be caught in the cobwebs of human illusions.

…Right? …

As he reflected, soft whimpers broke through his train of thoughts, drawing his attention back to the small brunette lying in the opposite corner of the room. Obviously, she had woken up, if she had been sleeping at all.

Then, she rose to a sitting position before casting a healing spell on herself, finally removing all the bruises from her body, as if she was never attacked at all. But, that didn't stop her tears from falling as she buried her face in her hands, her back stubbornly facing Sephiroth. Getting annoyed at her for obviously trying her best to ignore his presence, he decided that he would not allow her to avoid him.

"There's no need to hide yourself in a dark corner, Aerith. I know you're crying" he said, his tone neutral.

Desiring nothing more than to be left alone while she hopelessly cried her heart out, Aerith stayed silent, listening to the cold monotony of the falling rain mixed with her sorrowful sighs, wishing for him to understand her unspoken wishes and let her be. But, Sephiroth absolutely couldn't stand the sight of her, stubbornly turning her back on him. For some reason, it made him feel as if she was trying to provoke him by ignoring his presence… and he felt as if fulfilling her wish would give her a small victory over him.

"…Come here, Aerith" he said a bit harshly, immediately noticing her body tense at the sound of his voice.

"I…I…want to be alone…" she cried, wondering why he had spoken in such a demanding tone.

"Well, that's too bad, because you're not, and I certainly won't leave this place to go sit outside under the cold rain like a damned fool" he spat, becoming impatient.

Surprised to hear him say something almost vulgar, she couldn't help but giggle, ignoring the slight anger that touched his voice.

"What?" he growled, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing. …You're right, Seph. Forgive me." She said softly, finally turning to face him.

"Now, that's better…but I told you to come here"

Even if she didn't want to obey to what felt like an order, Aerith knew that if she didn't want to annoy him even more, doing as she was told would be the wisest thing to do. So, she got to her feet and approached him hesitantly before finally sitting by his side. Then, a heavy silence fell upon them, as the air became thick with nervous tension.

So, as nothing distracted her from her gloomy thoughts, Aerith went back to thinking about the dream she just had, wiping away a few tears that fell down her cheeks. Noticing it, Sephiroth sighed softly, wondering how she could be so frail, sentimental, …weak … and, at the same time, have a will stronger than steel.

To him, those two characteristics just didn't fit together. A strong person could not show such weaknesses, and he was sure that Aerith was strong. Not to mention that _she_, of all people, had been able to overcome his greatest plans. Aerith was simply something he was completely unable to understand, a small being that contradicted his deepest convictions simply by existing.

That fact was enough to fuel his curiosity, and he decided to try and understand her way. After all, he never missed an occasion to learn something that could be useful to him someday…

"…Why are you crying?" he finally asked.

"Well…your allusions about Zack and me…made me think about him…and…I…realise that I miss him, so much…he…he's going to disappear forever, if he didn't already…" she struggled to say, feeling as if all the loneliness in the world was weighing down her small shoulders.

Listening to her words, the silver haired man stayed silent, unable to stop himself from being disturbed by her declaration. For some reason, it made him a bit mad to hear her talk about the raven haired man.

"I know I have to let him go, to leave everything behind, but…It…it's so hard…death is so cruel, Sephiroth…" she whimpered, sniffling slightly as she tried to wipe away her tears, only to have more of it flowing down her face.

"There's no point in thinking about such things. Nobody can do anything about it." he stated, a bit to coldly for Aerith's tastes, but she decided to ignore it.

"…You're right. But…I…feel so alone…since the day he left for Nibelheim and never came back, I feel like he abandoned me…even if I knew it wasn't the case…But…how could I think otherwise? I always was an outcast" she continued, unable to bear the aching of her heart as she tried to steady her breathing.

As he understood her on some level, Sephiroth nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"But I should be alright now. I have...new friends to care about…in Radiant Garden, my sister is waiting for me…And I know that, she believes in me. But now…I…can't even get to know her… I miss her, Sephiroth…I miss my mother, too…"

'I miss… him…'

"What do you want to do?"

"I…want to go back. My home, my life is in Radiant Garden. My place is with them… and I know that I don't need to keep an eye on you…not anymore…"

As she spoke those words, Sephiroth felt a strange aching tear at his chest and he clenched his eyes shut, turning his head on the other side of Aerith's emerald gaze.

"You'll be fine on your own, that's for sure. …And you're obviously annoyed by my unwanted company" she stated, rubbing at her eyes as her tears finally calmed.

'You're wrong…' …

Angry at himself for letting her words touch him, if only a little, he took a deep, calming breath before opening his reptilian eyes again, turning his cold gaze towards Aerith's puffy face.

"When do you want to leave?" he asked, his tone neutral.

"…After I visit one last place, I guess…since we are already on the way…"

"Alright"

Then, a heavy silence fell upon them once more as the rain seemed to pour even harder than before, crushing the smooth ground under it's liquid assault as Aerith bit her lower lip nervously, trying to form the words to ask the question tugging at the corner of her mind.

"…What will _you_ do?" she finally said, feeling a knot tie itself in the bottom of her stomach, as she dreaded his answer for a reason that she did not quite get.

Sighing softly, Sephiroth seemed to ponder over his choices for a few moments before finally answering.

"I will leave this place"

That was the exact answer that Aerith didn't want to ear.

"Why?" she exclaimed.

"I do not belong here, and therefore my life cannot have a purpose as long as I wander around this holy land. I'm wasting my time."

Feeling new tears gathering at the corner of her eyes, Aerith grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eye as she felt her heart race.

"Do you think I belong here? I may have found a new meaning to my existence, but I'm not totally at my place here. Our former planet is my birthplace, my real home, and it will always be!"

Wondering where she was getting at, he raised a questioning eyebrow, encouraging her to continue.

"Do you think that going back to the Lifestream would help you find a meaning to your own existence? Being dead doesn't have any meaning! …When my sister told me she had found a human in the forest, I thought…I was sure that the man I would find was Zack. But it was you… At least, you should…try to take advantage of the chance that's given to you… Since I know…that Zack will never have that luck…" she pleaded, still wondering why she wasn't happy with the idea of sending him back to his death, far away from her and her friends.

After all, she had wished that exact same thing when she was looking at the night's sky, waiting for a bright, holy star to come grant her desire to see him gone… So…why did the idea of loosing him once and for all didn't please her at all? …

"…Hmph. Who do you think I am…death will never be able to stop me." he stated firmly, looking at her with a challenging look written all over his features.

"All right, then. You would try to go back to the world of the living, then destroy our planet? As you wish, Sephiroth. But tell me, what will you do, once you finally succeed?" she asked in the same tone, putting a hand on her hip.

"…"

Even if he wanted nothing more than to have absolute power and rule all the filthy souls staining his planet, Sephiroth couldn't find an answer to her question.

"You see? You don't even know yourself. But let me tell you, Seph…once you got all the power that you're thirsting for, there will be nothing left for you to conquer, nothing to give a meaning to your godly, yet pitiful existence!"

Completely taken aback by her firm, efficient reply, he looked at her with wide eyes as a satisfied smile graced Aerith's lips. Then, he smirked slightly, thinking that their conversation was taking an interesting turn.

"…You sound like someone who doesn't want to be rid of me…" he remarked, his grin growing wider as a slight blush crept to her cheeks.

Unable to find an answer to his remark, Aerith stayed silent, trying to hide her embarrassment as she desperately tried to understand herself. Looking into his unnatural eyes, she saw nothing more than patient attention and a tiny bit of amusement. No anger, no madness shone in the glowing depths of his reptilian gaze as he waited for her to find the words she was searching for.

Then, she realised that she no longer felt uneasy in his presence, and was able to see him almost as someone different than the man who had brutally ended her previous life and tried to destroy the planet. As she was about to answer, she slid her emerald gaze away from his, trying to swallow her nervousness.

"Well, hm…you could say that…I got…used to you, I guess" she stammered, embarrassed.

"Oh, really?" he teased.

"…Well, yes, even if you annoy me a lot…" she added, trying to sound convincing.

'This is getting interesting' Sephiroth thought as Aerith shivered under the cold air blowing through the cave.

Then, Aerith realised that maybe, the reason why she accepted him was a very simple one. Finally understanding her own feelings, she took a deep breath, trying to find the courage to tell him the words that formed in her mind.

"…That must mean that…I…I forgive you…Sephiroth…But…I think that I finally understand…blaming you in the first place only kept me from being able to move on…" she finally managed to say.

"…Why is that?" he asked, intrigued.

"All of my life, everyone who met me always treated me like some kind of helpless child that always needed someone to look after it's poor being. Cloud, Zack…they were no exceptions. It made me feel weak, and I hated it. They never saw me for who I really was, unable to look behind my frail appearance and kindness …The only one…who didn't think I was a hopeless girl… was you, Sephiroth."

Closing her eyes briefly to compose herself, she smiled sadly at him before speaking again.

"…I guess that's why you murdered me… since you knew I was strong enough to stand in your way. …Also…I can't truly blame you, because we both did what we had to do. We had no choice but to stand our ground and accept our destiny"

True, Sephiroth had always considered her to be a powerful yet frail being and never underestimated her true potential. When he had been fighting Cloud, the silver haired man had been careless, thinking that such a weak puppet would never be able to defeat him. …And that alone had been enough to cause his destruction. In his mind, the frail woman standing before him was a greater threat than the blond swordsman, and, oddly, he respected her for it. But, that didn't give him the right to murder her like a cold, dirty bastard, and he knew it.

"But now…those tragic events are far behind us. Jenova is dead. Your body and mind are totally free from her grasp. I don't care to know if you did all those horrible things by your own will or because she manipulated you in doing so. …The only thing that matters is that you don't make the same mistakes again. I'm willing to give you a chance…For me, for you…and for Zack. He is dead, and will never live again. You have an opportunity that never happens to humans…so…maybe you should make something useful out of it, hm?" She stated softly, feeling as if a great weigh had been lifted from her shoulders.

'…You're too naïve for your own good…' Sephiroth thought, looking at her through a mask of cold indifference.

Oblivious to his reflections, Aerith looked at his fine features, admitting to herself that the dark light surrounding them made him strikingly handsome, since his entire being seemed to mingle in the darkness like he was a part of it. Of course, he was always good looking, even under the white light of a sunny afternoon, but…now, he couldn't be more attractive.

Trying not to blush, Aerith then noticed that his hands were still bare, since he didn't put his gloves back. As he had slender, fine yet masculine hands, Aerith wondered why he always kept them hidden under his thick leather gloves, never showing their gracefulness for others to see. But, looking at his soft looking fingers, an idea crossed her mind and she smiled almost mischievously, having found a nice way to change the subject and finish the day in a good tone.

"…I still hurt a bit, you know. …Does your offer still stands?" she asked playfully, trying not to giggle as a smirk reflecting her own slowly crept upon his lips.

"If you wish it…I guess it does" he replied in a soft voice.

Then, Aerith couldn't help but giggle as she sat in front of him, trying to swallow her nervousness.

'Well…I guess it will be a good way for us to try and get along a bit better…' she thought, still unable to believe that she had dared asking him that.

----------------------

Meanwhile, Tenzen and Ifalna were out in the small village to buy some goods for the journey ahead as the rain finally calmed down. As they were walking calmly on the deserted streets, Ifalna was playing with a lock of her long, curly hair, clearly showing her nervousness.

"What's on your mind?" Tenzen asked, encouraging her to open up.

"…Do you think Aerith is alright?" the woman asked, her voice tainted with worry.

"I don't know"

"I've been thinking about…what would happen if she was infected as well. You know, she _is_ with Sephiroth, after all…maybe… it's possible that she just hid it like Kitakaze…If that's the case…she may be on the verge of death, and we don't even know about it…"

Not wanting to even acknowledge the possibility, Tenzen closed his eyes briefly, clenching his jaw as he waited for Ifalna to continue.

"Anyway…we have to find them soon…" the woman added, trying to steady her trembling voice.

"Yes, I know"

"We have to find a cure…I'm…afraid for Kitakaze…and…for everyone…"

Wondering the exact meaning of her words, the swordsman raised a questioning eyebrow, looking at her expectantly.

"…That virus seems to spread rather easily…I …I'm infected too." Ifalna admitted, feeling a lone tear roll down her cheek.

That sentence was followed by a heavy silence as they both tried to keep their composure, a wave of anger, sadness and worry drenching their already confused minds.

"…Don't worry. I won't let Kitakaze or Aerith die, and you'll be well." Tenzen said after a moment, trying to convince himself more than her.

"What about you?" Ifalna added, her voice betraying her worries.

"…You noticed?"

Having trouble to keep her voice from trembling, Ifalna simply nodded, shooting a worried glance to his bruised arm.

"I'm not important right now. Aerith and Kitakaze are. …And if they die because of him…I swear I'll make him suffer" he said under his breath, in a low voice that showed how serious he was.

---------------------

Two hours later, Sephiroth was sitting in the same corner from before, trying to fight off the sleepiness that struggled to take over his mind as he held a small, warm body in is arms, snuggled peacefully against his chest like a little ball. As she always did in the past, Aerith had fallen asleep while he was massaging her shoulders, and they now both kept the other safe from the bitterness of the cold wind blowing restlessly outside of the cavern as the rain had finally came to a stop.

At first, she had been very tense, trying to swallow her nervousness as she reluctantly let him touch her bare skin. But, as she was the one who asked him to do it, she eventually clamed down and finally started to relax. After that, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep against him, consciously or not, he couldn't really say.

Now, he was a bit surprised to see how easily he had been able to make her trust him. Surely, he didn't deserve that trust. But…he certainly wasn't going to let his chance pass by. Smirking evilly, he decided that, maybe, making advantage of it wouldn't be that bad ...

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**A/N: So, how was that? I'm really busy with school now, but I'll try to keep my word and update weekly. **


	12. Teasing

**I don't own anything!**

**A/N: Here's a nicely long chapter. I could work more on it since I didn't have much schoolwork this week, and I had a lot of fun writing it. I hope you have as much while reading, lol. Well, on with the fic!**

**-------------------------**

Last chapter…

But, as she was the one who asked him to do it, she eventually clamed down and finally started to relax. After that, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep against him, consciously or not, he couldn't really say. Now, he was a bit surprised to see how easily he had been able to make her trust him. Surely, he didn't deserve that trust. But…he certainly wasn't going to avoid making advantage of it.

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The next morning…

Her eyes peacefully closed as a contented smile shone upon her pink lips, Aerith snuggled closer to her source of warmth, hugging the blanket she was lying on with delicately curled fingers, burying her sleeping figure in a silky, thin pillow. Sighing softly, she breathed the endearing scent of leather mixed with the musky fragrance of a masculine body …

'…What?'

'_Are you tired…?'_ asked a deep, soft voice resonating in the deepest reaches of her drowsy mind.

Frowning slightly, the young woman felt her heavy eyelids slowly slid open, revealing her sleepy emerald eyes. Letting out a small groan, she blinked away the strange silver strands obstructing her vision, only to have herself being annoyingly tickled by what seemed to be…

'…Hair?'

Bringing a lazy hand to her face to remove the soft locks of silver satin from her skin, Aerith then realised that her pillow was in fact a silky cascade of lustrous silver, while her blanket was a leather coat wrapped around a warm, tight frame…

"Oh!" she exclaimed, suddenly fully awake as she jumped away from her source of warmth, which was nothing else than a sleeping Sephiroth.

Blinking her confusion away, she slowly began to put the pieces in place.

"…That's right. He asked me if I was tired…then, I simply leaned into him…and I fell asleep" the young woman remembered, unable to stop the blush that slowly crept upon her porcelain cheeks.

Then, she realised that every little bit of tension that previously stiffened her muscles was gone, leaving her more relaxed than she had been in quite a while.

"He's good" she thought, trying not to giggle as she felt her blush intensifying.

But, it wasn't long before Sephiroth became aware of his sudden lack of warmth and opened his glowing eyes, immediately realising Aerith's absence. His pale face partially hidden behind shiny silver bangs, the swordsman raised his ethereal eyes to meet her slender, kneeling form. Noticing her reddened cheeks, he suppressed a smirk, regretting to have missed the moment when she awoke from a deep slumber and realised her position.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked softly, entertained by her embarrassment.

"Hm…Well, yes" Aerith admitted, briefly avoiding his intense stare.

"That's good"

Feeling a strange shiver run down her spine at the amused satisfaction tainting his endearing voice, Aerith cleared her throat nervously before looking around in search of something to busy herself with. Noticing her back pack, she suppressed a relieved sigh as she grabbed it swiftly, burying her hands in it's depths, hoping to find her comb.

'How could I fall asleep in _his_ arms?' she asked herself, bewildered.

'…And he didn't even push me away…'

Once she had found the object of her search, Aerith undid her braid in a nervous manner before running the brush through her tangled curls, lost in her own inner thoughts as her hands worked almost automatically.

'Is he becoming soft on me? …No that's not possible. …But… he sure _did_ act weird since the last few days…'

Frowning slightly as she absently fought against a nasty knot, Aerith totally forgot about Sephiroth's eyes burning through her entire being, getting too engulfed in her own little world to acknowledge her surroundings.

'I was told one day that if you are able to fall in a peaceful sleep while lost in someone's embrace, it means that you trust that person with your life. …Is that so, then? …Do I trust him that much?'

'…No, certainly not! I have no reason to'

Finally winning the battle against her messy hair, Aerith placed the comb in her bag, forcing her mind back to reality as she turned her dark emerald eyes to meet Sephiroth's mako ones.

Sitting in a shadowed corner, his perfect face slightly bowed as he held her eyes with his, he seemed like a calm, yet deadly dark angel, a fallen seraph that watched her silently, waiting for something that no one could decipher…

But…no matter how much power his whole being held, no matter how his body absorbed the darkest shadows surrounding him, Aerith felt no hostility coming from his tainted aura…And, somehow, that made her feel like she could touch his darkness, to reach a tiny light imprisoned within his frightening, yet strikingly beautiful eyes…

Then, she found herself unable to tear her fascinated gaze away, feeling as if his pale green orbs suddenly had a strange power over her…

'Gods, isn't he beautiful…'

Surprised by her own reflection, Aerith forced her eyes away from him, wanting nothing more than to hide herself in a small corner and disappear from his sight.

'That's not right! Since when am I thinking those kind of things? …Oh, I'm so confused…' she thought desperately.

Then, to her greatest relief, Sephiroth broke the heavy silence, his deep, velvet voice cutting through the thick tension surrounding them.

"We should leave soon. I believe that you may want to reach our destination as soon as possible, so that you can go back to …Radiant Garden, am I right?"

"Yes, you're right" Aerith approved, eager to finally leave this dark place and distract herself from him.

0o0o0o0o0

Around midday, Aerith and Sephiroth finally reached their last destination before returning to Radiant Garden. As they entered the huge, nice park crowded with young people holding hands or mothers playing with their young child, Aerith completely forgot her previous embarrassment as she cheerfully spotted an enormous, colourful flowerbed.

"Do you see that? Come on, Seph!" she exclaimed, taking him by the hand and running to the source of her delight.

Rolling his eyes as he let her drag him along the curious crowds, Sephiroth was glad that, at least, the flowerbed was free from any Cetra. He was a quiet man and certainly didn't like being surrounded by noisy people. Once Aerith reached her destination, she finally let go of his gloved hand and knelt carefully among the sweet flowers, taking a deep breath to inhale their delightful scent.

Feeling totally out of place, Sephiroth stood by her side, staying perfectly still, his arms crossed against his chest with a slightly bored look shadowing his fine features. Keeping his eyes on Aerith's smiling face, the silver haired man listened to the sound of laughing children, getting annoyed at the happiness tainting their small voices. Never in his life, even when he was a hopeless child devoid of any kind of real power or purpose, did Sephiroth ever laughed like that.

'I guess I have Hojo to thank for that. Not that I mind though' he told himself, getting his attention back to the lovely woman beside him, who was gently touching the petals of a yellow flower, her eyes glowing with fascination.

Kneeling in the middle of multicoloured petals bathed in the white light of the shining sun, her hair falling freely on her shoulders as her long, red dress lost itself in the soft, colourful field, Aerith offered him a brief, honest smile before turning her attention to a pink plant, humming a gentle melody.

To any eyes that fell on her, she seemed like a peaceful angel, glowing brightly as her own inner light was accentuated by the shining colours surrounding her, giving the illusion of a tiny shade of pink touching her flawless skin. Even the dark shadows enveloping Sephiroth as he stood next to her weren't able to reach her perfect brightness, leaving her totally untainted, and even more unattainable…

Just like the flowers she was so lovingly taking care of, Aerith was a fragile, perfectly pure being. Unable to acknowledge anything else around him than her, Sephiroth watched her silently, secretly thanking her for letting her hair loose instead of hiding them in a childish braid. Even if he wasn't about to admit it to her, the silver haired man absolutely loved the way her chestnut curls would fall on her small back like a river of silk, flowing gently around her lovely face as the wind blew softly…

Then, before he even had the time to realise what he was doing, Sephiroth bent down on one knee, carefully picking a nice, white flower before gently taking her chin between his fingers, encouraging her to look him straight in the eye as he softly placed the flower behind her ear, his jade eyes never leaving her emerald ones.

As he did so, Aerith found herself unable to think about anything as she unconsciously held her breath, completely lost in the unusual tenderness buried in the ethereal glow of his reptilian eyes. Unmoving, they stayed silent for a moment as everything around them seemed to vanish completely, oblivious to the intrigued looks some people sent in their direction.

Then, a shadow of a smile touched Sephioth's lips as the trance was finally broken by his soft, deep voice.

"You are very beautiful" he whispered, making Aerith blush a bright shade of red as he got to his feet, leaving her to sit alone on the ground, completely bewildered.

Trying to compose herself, Aerith swallowed nervously before softly touching the silky flower neatly placed behind her ear. Then, she raised a pair of amused eyes to his, a slightly mocking smile spreading on her pink lips.

"You said it out loud, you know" she said, giggling.

"I know"

As he said so, Aerith couldn't help but to giggle again, feeling completely lost and unable to think normally. Surely, there was a logical reason for him to act that way… maybe…he really was a different man from before. Maybe…he really got to like her company?

'I absolutely need to go back home. There, I'll be able to clear my mind and…maybe talking with Kitakaze will help me understand…that strange situation…' she told herself in the back of her mind, forcing her attention back to the flowerbed, trying to ignore the people shooting playful smiles in her direction.

But, as the curious people noticed Sephiroth's blood chilling looks, they soon minded their own business.

A few moments later, the silver haired man was becoming quite bored, annoyed by the heat of the white sun burning on his dark leather clothes. Not to mention that he felt rather odd, standing among a small field of bright, joyful colours, next to a chestnut haired angel. So, he spotted a lone tree standing nearby, it's dark foliage casting a shadow on the smooth grass, a perfect place for him to hide from the sun and the eyes of smiling Cetras.

Leaving Aerith to her occupation, which he thought to be a waste of time, he went to sit under the tree, facing the flower girl who now had her back to him. Eager to find some peace, he closed his icy eyes, leaning against the tree as he tried to shut his mind away from any kind of thoughts. But, his rest didn't last long as he was soon brought back to reality by a small, childish voice, while he felt something tug at his coat.

Annoyed, he opened his eyes again and turned his head to the side, only to find himself face to face with a little girl smiling playfully at him, her dark green eyes glowing with pure innocence and naïve happiness as her blonde hair fell in a messy mass of straight strands. Anybody who would take a look at her small, peach face, would obviously think that she was such a cute little girl.

But, Sephiroth wasn't anybody, so he simply raised an annoyed eyebrow, wishing to scare her away, back to her mother's skirts.

"Your hair are nice! Where did you get 'em?" the child asked, a huge smile plastered on her small, pink lips.

"…In a lab" the silver haired man answered coldly but truthfully.

"What's a lab?"

"You don't want to know"

"Oh really? …Can I touch 'em?"

"No" Sephiroth spat, narrowing his eyes.

But, even under his murdering glance, the child wasn't impressed at all.

"You should smile. I'm sure if you did, her heart would melt" the little girl stated, sticking her tongue out in a playful grimace.

"And you should stay away from people like me" he growled, hoping that she would get the message.

But, before she had time to react, a worried, female voice screamed in their direction as a blonde woman came running.

"Lily! What are you doing? … I'm so sorry if she caused you any trouble" the mother said, taking her daughter firmly by the hand before turning on her heels, dragging the infant behind her.

"No, mom! Wait! I wanna go talk to his girlfriend!" Lily exclaimed, attracting a small chuckle from the silver haired man.

Then, the girl broke free from her mother's grasp and ran to the flowerbed, making Aerith jump right out of her thoughts as she loudly knelt by her side. Getting amused, Sephiroth observed them as the mother joined them, shaking her head in silent submission. Obviously, that little girl didn't obey very easily.

Wondering what Aerith would have said if she heard Lily calling her his girlfriend, he suppressed a smirk, making sure that he would remember the girl's advice. Maybe it would come in handy some day …

As he observed Lily having a conversation with Aerith, who was almost glowing with happiness, Sephiroth realised that the flower girl was probably a lot like her when she was a small child. A tiny, cute little being that was overly naïve, too stubborn and straightforward for her own good.

But…contrarily to Lily, Aerith knew very well what a lab was. From Zack's memories, he had learned that she had been prisoner of Hojo's lab since she was only twenty days old. One day, her mother had successfully escaped that cursed prison with her beloved daughter, but it had cost her her life.

Sephiroth then imagined Aerith's little face, covered with salty tears moistening her small lips as she whimpered for her mother's sake and her own, imprisoned in one of the glass cages that he knew all too well.

'Hojo was a bastard' the swordsman thought, chasing the disturbing images away from his mind.

'…Well, as his son, I am too' …

Letting out a small grunt, he closed his eyes once again, leaning against the tree as he tried to shut down his mind once again, not wanting to even remember Hojo's existence.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A couple of hours later, they were finally back on the road, ready to return to Radiant Garden. While they walked on an endless, grassy plain, Aerith was absently playing with the white flower placed behind her ear, smiling softly as she remembered her afternoon. As for Sephiroth, he was quite pleased to see that she still didn't remove it, and looked absolutely lovely, lost in her own little world.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, getting curious.

"Huh? ... about flowers"

"…?"

"There were so many plants in the Park that I didn't know about. That little girl was nice enough to tell me their names and explain a bit about them. The flower you gave me is also a type that does not exist on our planet. So…I was thinking about all those things that I learned today"

"I see…" Sephiroth sighed, almost deceived that nothing else than something so boring invaded her mind at the moment.

Noticing the slight shadow that crossed his face for a brief moment, Aerith smiled playfully, intertwining her hands behind her back as she leaned forward to have a good look at his figure.

"Hm? That's not what you wanted to hear?" she teased him, her eyes glowing with something close to mischief.

"…Hmph."

"You really don't like flowers, do you?" she giggled.

Taking a moment to look at her small figure, he silently pondered to find a good answer to her question.

"It's not that. I just don't care about them. But…they do look good on you" he finally said, smirking as she blushed for the hundredth time that day.

Feeling totally embarrassed and out of anything to say as an answer, Aerith turned her attention back to the road in front of her, as she could almost feel Sephiroth's amusement tainting the air around them.

'He's making fun of me, that's for sure. Or I'm imagining things' she thought.

Then, they walked silently for what seemed an like eternity as Aerith replayed the events of the previous day in her mind, remembering their conversation and Sephiroth's desire to return to their home planet…

'I wonder if I convinced him to stay? …He never really said that he would…' the young woman thought, nervously biting her lower lip.

Soon enough, they saw a village standing a couple of miles away from their current location. As Aerith was getting quite tired, they decided to spend the rest of the day in a comfortable hotel room before going back on the road early the next morning.

0o0o0o0o0

Some time later, Aerith was sitting on her bed, nervously playing with a lone curl as she thought about her return to Radiant Garden, and what she wanted to do with Sephiroth.

'Do I want him to stay with me? …' she wondered as the only noise coming to her ears was the sound of running water as Sephiroth was taking a shower.

But, it wasn't long before he finally came out, wearing nothing more than his black pants as he put his coat to wash. Trying not to look too much at his perfect, wonderfully muscled body, Aerith cleared her throat nervously, blushing slightly as he sat on his own bed with a loud thud.

Focusing her traitorous green eyes on his face to prevent them from going slower, Aerith soon noticed his cold, frustrated expression as he leaned lazily against the head of his bed, his gaze fixed absently on his lap. Obviously, something was bothering him, and the controlled anger shining in his reptilian depths was enough to send a frightened shiver running down the young woman's spine.

All around his blood chilling visage, his slightly wet hair fell loosely, flowing down his shoulders like a blanket, hiding much of his bare skin, to Aerith's relief. But, even if he looked like he was ready to go on a killing spree, the young woman slowly got off her own bed, carefully approaching him.

Feeling each of her own footsteps on the soft carpet, getting even more nervous as they got her closer to an angry mass murderer, Aerith swallowed nervously, cursing her own curiosity and never ending need to help others.

"Sephiroth?" she asked softly, forcing her nervousness to stay hidden within the deepest reaches of her body.

Then, in a painfully slow motion, he raised his devilish eyes to meet her kind ones, immediately chilling every last bit of warmth lingering in her blood. Unconsciously, she took a small step back, putting a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

Even through his blinding anger, Sephiroth noticed her reaction and lowered his eyes, sighing softly as he tried to calm down. She had, after all, nothing to do with his frustration.

"You don't need to be afraid…I won't hurt you" he said softly.

Finally letting out the deep breath she didn't know she was holding, Aerith took a few steps forwards, finally reaching the edge of his bed before carefully sitting down on the soft mattress, her eyes never leaving his shadowed features.

"Is…there something wrong?" she asked in a small voice, getting a little bit more confident.

Sephiroth stayed silent for a few moments, unmoving, making Aerith wonder if he was going to answer at all. But, as she was about to get to her feet and leave him alone, his bare hand grabbed her wrist in a swift yet gentle move, forcing her to stay right where she was.

A bit startled, Aerith swallowed her nervousness before staying completely still as his powerful hand stayed locked around her wrist…

"Aerith…"

"…Yes?"

"How long…have you been prisoner in Hojo's lab?" he asked, raising his glowing eyes to meet her emerald ones.

A bit surprised by the question, the flower girl frowned slightly, not even wanting to wonder how he got that information.

"Well…I can't say for sure. Seven years, I think…"

"Hmph. Far too long, I guess…And…Your mother died because of him" he stated, finally letting go of her wrist.

"…Yes. But…that's okay now. It doesn't matter…since I can live in this world with her…"

"My mother too, died because of that man's greed. She wasn't strong enough"

Surprised, Aerith looked at him as a wave of sorrow flew through her gentle eyes. Then, she allowed herself to get a little closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder as she smiled sadly.

"Your mother? …Do you know about her now?"

"Yes. I don't care, though. She was a bitch. But…I would have liked to know the truth. I really believed Jenova was my mother. Maybe, if I knew…" he sighed, letting his voice trail along the last words.

"Maybe, you wouldn't have done all those things?" the young woman asked softly, feeling a wave of comfortable warmth spreading through her soul as she nervously waited for his answer…

At that moment, she realised that, in the bottom of her forgiving heart, she dearly hoped that he regretted his actions, if only a little…

"Yes, maybe I wouldn't have. But, that's not the point. I don't regret it. I still think that they deserved that kind of fate." He answered coldly, his voice tainted with undeniable truth.

As his words painfully sunk in her wounded heart, Aerith removed her hand from his shoulder, unable to deny her own deception.

"And me?" she asked without even thinking, immediately regretting her words as she dreaded his answer.

"No, I don't think you deserved it" he simply replied.

Taking a deep breath as a wave of relief drenched her senses, Aerith contented herself with that answer, not wanting to ask him if he regretted his actions towards her. She had to accept her past, and dwelling over that question was pointless.

"…So…why are you angry?" she asked after a few moments, pushing away any kind of thoughts that could spoil her wonderful day.

"…That little girl in the Park. She made me think about Hojo. That's all"

"I see…"

"I never got the chance to rip him apart. …How I wish I could have…"

"Don't worry about it. I know, it may not be much of a consolation, but I'm sure Cloud made him suffer" Aerith giggled.

Then, to Aerith's surprise, her cold, dark companion actually _laughed_, a rare sound that made her feel special…But, the moment didn't last long as he soon went back to his cold demeanour.

"Of course he did. After all, he made _me_ suffer. Two times. With that damned, traitorous technique…" Sephiroth grumbled.

On that note, silence weighed upon them once more as Aerith bit her lip nervously, unable to stop herself from wondering how he got to know about her childhood in Hojo's lab.

"Hm…Sephiroth? How…do you know…about me and my mother?" she finally asked.

"…Well, I learned part of it from Zack's memories. But…I feel like it's part of my memories too."

"…Yes, that makes sense. After all...you were there too. Do you think…we met, when we were children?" Aerith asked, smiling softly as she unconsciously got a little closer to him …

"Maybe"

Knowing that they would probably never be able to get to know the real answer to that question, Aerith stayed silent, smiling knowingly as she looked in his glowing orbs, now devoid of any anger… Then, she realised how close she had gotten to him, their faces now standing a few centimetres away from each other, their eyes locked together…

For the second time that day, nothing else around them seemed to hold any importance… So, Aerith failed to notice the slight smirk spreading on his lips as he leaned forward, making her heart race painfully under her chest, her whole being trembling with anticipation.

But, to her greatest disappointment, he stooped just as his lips were about to meet with her own, turning his head on the side to whisper in her hear…

"It's getting late. You should sleep"

Her trance totally broken by his velvet voice, Aerith slowly backed away from him, getting to her feet as she finally saw the amused smile printed on his gorgeous lips.

Too embarrassed at herself to say anything, she went to the washroom, swiftly hiding herself behind the door and locking it, leaning against the white, plain wall as she tried to steady her breathing.

'Oh, dear planet…what did I almost do?' she complained, closing her eyes as she could almost hear her own heart drumming against her ribcage.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, a certain silver haired man smiled triumphantly, thinking that, soon enough, he would be able to get his prize… a nice victory over her…and over Cloud.

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**A/N: Oh my, Seph is bad…hehe…this chapter was pretty long, I made sure to describe a lot in it. Did I succeed? And as for Aerith and Seph's childhoods, I won't put anything more about it since there's a lot of fanfics based on that. I don't even like mentioning it, but I guess it can't be helped. And I decided to make Sephiroth know about his parents, because he spent so mush time in the Lifestream, that would be only logical to think that he, somehow, learned the truth. Also, did you notice Lucrecia's line? (If you played DC…) Lol…I didn't put it on purpose, but it fitted well hehe. Well, I hope you liked it, and don't forget to review ! **


	13. Nightmare

**A/N: Here's a new chapter. I almost decided to post it one week late, but ****Raistlin22** **convinced me to do it now. Thanks for everyone who reviewed last chapter, the site had some problems I guess because it didn't sent me an alert when I had reviews, so I hope everyone got my reply. Well, good reading!**

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Last chapter…

'Oh, dear planet…what did I almost do?' she complained, closing her eyes as she could almost hear her own heart drumming against her ribcage.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, a certain silver haired man smiled triumphantly, thinking that, soon enough, he would be able to get his prize… a nice victory over her…and over Cloud.

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A while later, Aerith laid on her bed, her eyes wide open as she stared through the thick darkness lit only by the dim, silver moonlight creeping through the white curtains. Lost in the slumbering silence of the night, the flower girl could hear nothing more than a sweet, almost inaudible sound as Sephiroth's soft, regular breathing reached her ears. He was sleeping peacefully for quite some time now, lying on his own bed, still wearing nothing more than his black pants.

'I wish I was able to fall asleep too…' the young woman complained inwardly, letting out a heavy sigh.

Surrounded by nothing more than a sleepy silence and unmoving shadows, Aerith found herself to be completely unable to stop thinking about Sephiroth's behaviour…and her own.

'What will I do, if he kisses me? …'

'…Nothing…I…wanted him to do it'

Trying to suppress her confusion, she curled into a little ball as if to protect herself from the realisation that suddenly dawned on her.

'I'm attracted to him'

Closing her eyes tightly, she replayed the whole evening in her mind, feeling her confusion flow away from her as she remembered the overwhelming wave of strange feelings that had taken over her whole body as he was slowly approaching her. Then, she couldn't help but smile sweetly, finally admitting to herself that she was quite disappointed when he didn't kiss her.

Biting her lower lip as interesting images invaded her dreamy mind, Aerith wondered how his lips would taste against her own. But, she quickly chased away those funny thoughts as she reprimanded herself, remembering exactly who she was daydreaming about.

'I shouldn't be thinking that way. But, still…'

Turing on her side to face Sephiroth's bed, she stared at his peaceful, sleeping figure gently touched by the moonlight as his lustrous hair fell around his face, covering his shoulders and spreading behind him like a silky blanket.

'He's been so nice today…' she reminded herself, smiling again as she thought about his sweet, yet embarrassing comments.

She then remembered their last conversation, when he had correctly guessed that seven years spent in Hojo's lab were already far too long…

'Gods, and he spent his entire life there…he must have suffered so much'

As she thought so, Sephiroth suddenly twitched in his sleep, frowning as his strong hands gripped his blanket, clutching it with such force that his knuckles turned white.

'Oh no…not again!' the flower girl hoped, afraid that he might get angry once again and wake up to send her a murderous look.

But, as strange as it seemed, she knew that he wasn't a danger for her anymore, no matter how harsh he could be at times. For some reason, it was now clear to her that Sephiroth wouldn't do anything to harm her. So, she carefully rose to a sitting position, keeping her eyes on him as she did so, knowing that he was probably having some kind of nightmare.

Then, before she had time to make another move, his pale eyelids snapped open, revealing icy reptilian eyes as he swiftly threw the covers off of him before going to the washroom to get his coat and putting it on in a quick, expert move, not looking at her even once. That done, he grabbed his Masamune, which was placed in a corner of the room, lying against the plain wall. Sheathing his deadly, oversized weapon at his side, he went to the front door, opened it and stepped through before closing it behind him in a gentle, controlled move, making a soft sound that was more frightening than a swift slam.

So, Aerith ended up alone in the dark, silent room, blinking away her confusion as she tried to calm her racing heart.

'…Gods…why did he leave like that?' the flower girl wondered, looking at the door as if she was searching an answer in it's plain, closed whiteness.

Listening to her own quick heartbeat, Aerith felt a wave of uneasiness spreading through her lonely being as she let her eyes wander around the dark room, now devoid of any other living soul than her own.

'What if…he never comes back?'

Suddenly feeling a bit cold, Aerith rubbed her bare arms, ignoring the fine, tickling hair that teased at her face. Unable to stop the uneasiness taking over her worried mind, she imagined what her morning would be, waking up to see the yellow light of the morning sun…only to find herself alone in a silent, cold room.

Not a single goodbye, not even a farewell buried in a swift glance, nothing. He would be gone forever, leaving her with nothing but confused memories and a feeling of bitterness.

Unable to bear the idea, Aerith swiftly got off the bed and grabbed a dark purple shirt along with a pair of jeans, dressing herself as quickly as she could before heading out the front door, just like Sephiroth did a moment ago.

'I would feel bad if he just leaves me like that…' she reflected while exiting the inn, finding herself in the middle of a silent, unknown village engulfed in a cloud of blinding darkness.

Even if she wasn't certain that she understood her own actions, Aerith's eyes pierced the thick shadows, anxiously searching for a flash of silver. Unable to see properly under the faint moonlight, the young woman took a step forward, looking around as if she was completely lost. In fact, that wasn't far from the truth.

"Sephiroth?" she called, afraid to raise her voice a bit too much and be heard by some kind of maniac hiding in a corner.

Only getting the voice of singing crickets as an answer, Aerith swallowed nervously, forcing her feet to work properly as she proceeded through the small street. Contrarily to the village where Orelle lived, this one was much darker, reminding her a little of the slums in Midgar. Not as dangerous or dirty, neither was the sky polluted…but still, she wasn't sure if she would dare to walk alone on it's streets without her fierce determination to find Sephiroth.

'I guess weird places does exist in this world too' the young woman concluded, looking as far to the horizon as she could.

Knowing that Sephiroth wouldn't stay in such a place for very long, Aerith headed for the grassy plains surrounding the village, finally spotting the object of her search, sitting on the edge of the sea, looking somewhere in front of him, lost in his thoughts.

Relieved to see that he wasn't gone to a place faraway from her and to finally have found someone to assure her safety, the young woman let out a sigh before smiling softly, walking silently on the sleepy ground, careful not to make too much noise and disturb his train of thoughts.

But, no matter how careful she was, the swordsman noticed her as soon as she reached him, turning around to meet her emerald eyes with his glowing, emotion filled ones. As he did so, Aerith's smile faded to be replaced by a worried frown...

For a moment, he stayed completely still and silent, allowing her to look deep inside the hidden reaches of his reptilian pools. As if his eyes had lost the walls of ice that usually blinded them, a flow of sorrowful anger shone in his jade irises, leaving his soul unprotected and open for the flower girl to see. Feeling her heart sink, Aerith slowly sat by his side, ready to help with what was troubling him.

"What's wrong, Sephiroth?" she asked softly, her soft green eyes looking in his pained ones.

"…"

To her greatest disappointment, the silver haired man stayed deadly silent, turning his gaze towards the sea, completely ignoring her question…and her presence. Letting out a small sigh, she got a little closer to him, putting a gentle hand on his left arm to prevent him from being able to avoid acknowledging her.

"I want to know, so that I can help you" she whispered, leaning down to get a look at his figure.

"You can't do a thing, and I don't need help"

"…Maybe…but, I'm sure talking will help you get it out of your mind, even if you don't want to admit it"

Obviously not convinced, Sephiroth chuckled, his eyes shining with sarcastic amusement.

"…Maybe it won't aid you, but it will help me, at least. I don't like seeing you, or anyone, for that matter, feeling sad and keeping it inside" the flower girl insisted.

Shaking his head and letting out a small sigh, Sephiroth turned to face her.

"You won't abandon, hm? You're not going to let me be until I tell you everything" he guessed, wondering why he wasn't annoyed by her insistence.

Normally, he would have scared her away with a mean look or deadly words, but…Aerith didn't deserve that kind of treatment, neither did he desire to be harsh towards her.

"You're right. I'll annoy you all night if I have to" Aerith giggled, knowing that it was a lie, since she didn't want to pry on him, but she certainly wasn't going to give up that easily.

Those words brought another sigh from Sephiroth as he wondered exactly how he was going to explain it to her without scaring her away.

"…I wasn't always like that" he said after a moment, looking at the dark, moonlight coloured sea.

"Like what?" Aerith asked softly.

"Like a cold murderer"

"Yes, I guess…I knew, somehow…" the half-Cetra approved, unable to help but to wait for his next sentence with anticipation.

"The first time I killed a man, I wasn't as disturbed as all the other SOLDIERS… but, when his red, warm blood spilled all over my clothes, staining my sword, my hands…my face…I was disgusted, I felt dirty"

Feeling a comfortable warmth spreading through her compassionate heart, Aerith removed her hand from his arm to place it on his back, hoping that her presence would help him with his confession.

"So, as I knew that killing would be my whole reason for living, I found a way to like it. After that day, I stopped seeing my enemies at all. The only thing I saw…was Hojo's face, plastered in place of their own."

Feeling salty tears burning in the corner of her eyes, Aerith let her hands slid softly along his silky silver hair, waiting for him to continue.

"You see, Aerith, that's how I got to like… no, _love _my job. As time went by, I was able to kill anyone without even looking at them, without caring at all, even if I didn't see Hojo in them anymore. If you ask me to remember the faces of the people I killed, I wouldn't be able to"

"…Is that why you don't regret anything?" Aerith asked, already knowing what his answer would be.

"No, not at all. When I was with Shinra, I didn't regret it because it was my duty. As for the rest of the time, I did it for Jenova's sake, for my own revenge and to gain overwhelming power"

"I see…" Aerith sighed, a little deceived to see that she had guessed right.

"…You know, the only two faces that I remember clearly from that time are the one of the first man I ever killed… and…yours. If I don't include president Shinra and other important people like that, of course" Sephiroth admitted, lowering his gaze to the ground as he silently wished that Aerith would go away and stop pitying him.

"Is that why you're…perturbed?" the flower girl asked, not knowing how to name the feelings he was enduring.

"Well, I saw Hojo's face in my dreams. That's enough to annoy someone. After all… he's the embodiment of all the things that I did, and everything that was done to me. When I have the misfortune to start thinking about him, I can't stop my mind from remembering all kinds of stupid things"

"I guess" Aerith giggled, finally removing her hand from Sephiroth's back, to his greatest relief, as he didn't want to feel like some weak man who needed comfort.

A moment of silence then followed as the half-Cetra reflected about what her silver haired companion had told her. Never before the last few days did she ever realise how horrible his whole life had been. Even her own problems had never reached that level, and nobody could really blame him for becoming who he was…

"Hojo really crushed you, didn't he?" she asked softly.

As she said so, Sephiroth turned to face her, his soul once again hidden behind icy walls as he placed his cold eyes on her.

"I don't need your pity, neither your help. But…"

Letting his voice trail along the last word, a shadow of a smile brightened his face as he lifted a gloved hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek with his gloved thumb.

"You're lucky to have been able to escape that cursed lab. Who knows what kind of nasty things Hojo would have done to you once you grew up enough for him to" the silver haired man said, dropping his hand to his side as his endearing mako orbs plunged deep in Aerith's emerald ones.

Blushing a bit under the hidden meaning of his words as she was lost between embarrassment and disgust at the thought of Hojo touching her, Aerith turned her eyes away before speaking again.

"Actually, he caught me some time before I left Midgar to travel with Cloud and his group. He wanted to breed me, but Cloud saved me in time…Gods, I'm thankful for that" she confessed, daring to look at him once again as she finished her sentence.

"…Breed you?" Sephiroth asked, raising a questioning eyebrow as he waited for more details.

"Yes, with a beast. I don't know if you remember, but…it was that cat-like creature travelling with us. RedXIII was his name. He was very sweet, he would have never harmed me" the half-Cetra explained, smiling softly as she remembered her faraway friend.

Blinking, Sephiroth thought for a moment as he tried to put his memories back in place. Then, his face took a look of disgust that thoroughly amused Aerith.

"What? …Gross!" the silver haired man exclaimed, making her explode into a fit of laughter.

"…Actually…when I think about it…The whole thing would…have been much better…with Red … than if Hojo did it himself" Aerith tried to say, laughing out loud, feeling as if her lungs were going to explode out of her ribcage.

Unable to help himself but to agree, Sephiroth started laughing as well, not making a noise as his shoulders shook under repressed amusement. Soon, enough, Aerith forced herself to regain composure as she wiped her eyes, wondering how much time had flew by since she laughed like that. As for Sephiroth, he was already calm, looking at the sea once again, lost in silent thoughts.

"I guess he's really disgusting. I wonder how my mother…was able to let him approach her. Hmph. Maybe she was as ugly as him" Sephiroth said, to Aerith's surprise, since it wasn't like him to talk openly like that.

"I don't think so" Aerith replied, shaking her head in denial.

"And why is that?" the silver haired man asked, turning to look at her once again.

"Well…" the flower girl began, feeling a blush creep upon her cheeks.

Ready to voice her thoughts, she raised a pair of mischievous eyes to meet his, a playful smile drawing itself on her pink lips.

"You have to look like one of your parents. And…I don't see any trace of Hojo in you. …So, if you don't look like him, you have to look like your mother, at least. And you're a very handsome man"

Acting as if he didn't hear her compliment, Sephiroth looked at her with a frown plastered on his face as he was about to respond.

"I may not look like him, but I'm still his flesh and blood. That's disgusting enough" he grumbled.

Hearing his unsuspected words, Aerith's smile vanished to leave a sad frown in it's place as she wondered how a man who was obviously overly proud and self-confident could say things like that. Surely, he didn't really mean it…

Unable to bear seeing him acting that way, Aerith approached him carefully, taking his gloved hand in her delicate ones, gently leaning against his shoulder.

"Maybe, but you're not him. Even if, in a way, your whole life was a way for him to accomplish what he was never able to do by himself…" the flower girl replied in a soothing tone, tightening her grip on his gloved hand.

"You can leave all those unfair memories behind now, and shape your own future. Here, you have a chance to do so" she continued, smiling as her sparkling eyes took on the beautiful scenery.

There, leaning against him as she breathed the sweet scent of the night air mixed with the masculine smell of his pale skin, Aerith felt completely at peace, hoping that Sephiroth was also beginning to calm down and enjoy the moment.

But, the fact that he didn't answer her last statement made her doubt, and prevented her from totally shutting her mind down and relaxing next to him.

'I'm sure he looks a lot like his mother. I wonder…what would have happened if he had the chance to meet her, at least once? That's so sad…' she thought, biting her lower lip as she tried to stop the tears gathering at the corner of her eye.

Naturally, that train of thoughts made her think about her own mother, bringing a small smile to her face as she realised that she would see her again, soon enough.

'…I never really got to know my mother, either, at least before I reached this world' the young woman reflected, feeling as if Sephiroth was the person who could understand her the most.

After all, they had both lost their mother at Hojo's hands, and spent most of their childhood trapped in a dirty lab. But now, they were going back to Radiant Garden, to her mother and friends…and to the portal leading back to Gaia…

"…Sephiroth?" she asked softly, to make sure he was listening.

"Yes?" he replied, turning his eyes to meet hers.

"…What will you do? You never told me…if you still intended to go back to the Lifestream once we reached Radiant Garden" Aerith asked hesitantly.

"I haven't decided yet"

Lowering a pair of saddened eyes to the ground, Aerith sighed softly, suddenly feeling cold and abandoned. She then let go of his hand, disturbed by the thick, icy leather that covered it. Obviously, her discomfort didn't go unnoticed by the swordsman, who raised a gentle hand to her chin, lifting it softly between his slender fingers, encouraging her to look him in the eye.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to sound too cold.

"I…I want you to stay, Sephiroth. Badly. I don't really understand why, maybe it's because I feel connected to you, or because of our past…I guess, you're also the only thing that links me to our home planet…"

Letting her voice trail along the last words, she stayed silent for a moment, trying to clear her own thoughts and understand what was going on in the deepest reaches of her heart. Sephiroth then slid his arms around her back, pulling her close to him in a comforting embrace, only acting without really thinking about it.

At that exact moment, none of them knew why they acted this way. While she wondered what exactly her feelings towards him were, he wondered if his need to comfort her was another part of his mischievous plan…or a simple, altruist action.

"I do know one thing, though. I…I like you. For some reason, I don't want to loose your company. Because I got used to you, and you keep me linked to so many important things that I don't want to forget. Also…because I think you truly deserve the chance to shape your own life, for once, and I'll be glad to help you do it" she finally confessed, the smile returning to her porcelain visage as she spoke, snuggling closer to his leather clad body.

Silence then fell on them for a few moments as Sephiroth reflected on her words, feeling a strange, unwelcome warmth spreading in his chest.

"All right. I'll try. I can't promise anything, though" he finally replied, almost feeling Aerith's joy as she wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, placing her warm cheek against his bare chest.

"Thank you" she whispered as he felt her smile against his skin.

Unable to help but be confused at himself, Sephiroth realised that he was pleased with her words…and felt more at peace than anytime he could remember. But, more importantly, he finally realised that none of his present actions were motivated by his desire to strike back at Cloud for defeating him.

'If I proceed with that plan, she'll be hurt. Terribly. I'll…probably loose her trust, forever' he thought, feeling a wave of unknown sensations flow through him as he held her tightly, looking at the star filled sky.

Right now, he wondered if revenge was really worth it, after all…

--------------------

Meanwhile, a very tired group led by an overly energetic Kitakaze headed in the direction leading to Sephiroth and Aerith's location.

"Come on, if we continue like this, we should reach them in approximately ten hours" Kitakaze informed them, seeing the exhausted look shadowing their features.

"Kita…I know finding Aerith is important to you as well as for us, but…I think everyone needs a break now…" Ifalna complained, getting worried as she didn't understand how her wounded daughter could be so alert in the middle of the night.

Letting out a heavy, exasperated sigh, Kitakaze stopped in her tracks, turning to face them as she put a hand on her hip.

"All right…we'll stop for now, I guess…" she sighed, letting herself drop to the ground in a sitting position.

Exchanging worried glances, Ifalna and Tenzen sat down as well, followed by Williem. As for Kitakaze, she faced the horizon as if she hoped to see her sister appear out of nowhere and run to her with open arms.

'She's been like that since she found out about me and her mother…She's pushing herself to the farthest limits, stubbornly going forward until her body abandons her…Gods…we have to find a cure…' Tenzen thought, looking at his dearest friend with worried eyes.

If things continued on like this, she would worsen her health and even if he wanted to stop her from pushing herself, she was too stubborn to listen. After all, she wanted to find her sister, save her own life, the one of her mother…and his, and that was reason enough for her to act this way. But that didn't mean it was right …and he couldn't help but to be unbearably worried about her...

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**A/N: Well, I hope you had fun reading, and don't forget to leave a review! **


	14. Crossroads

**Disclaimer : I don't own FFVII, it belongs to SquareEnix.**

**A/N: I know, this chapter comes one week late, but the wait only makes it more enjoyable, doesn't it? Hehe. **

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Last chapter…

If things continued on like this, she would worsen her health and even if he wanted to stop her from pushing herself, she was too stubborn to listen. After all, she wanted to find her sister, save her own life, the one of her mother…and his, and that was reason enough for her to act this way. But that didn't mean it was right …

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A few hours later, the morning sun rose in the orange heavens, it's warm, bright rays teasing at Tenzen's closed eyelids, tearing him away from a dreamless sleep. Slowly, the swordsman opened his cerulean eyes, blinking away the remnants of his agitated slumber. Lying lazily on the cold, hard ground, he let his eyes wander to Kitakaze's sleeping form. Lost in silent worry, he observed the way her small chest rose and fell under each of her steady breaths as she curled in a foetal position, hugging her small hands next to her peach face.

"I'm relieved…she seems to sleep rather peacefully…I don't think I've seen her sleep so well since we left Radiant Garden" Ifalna's voice suddenly declared as if she was reading his thoughts.

Nodding as he finally rose to a sitting position, Tenzen brushed some of the dirt from his clothes before sliding his hands through his messy chestnut hair.

"Well, I hate to say this, but we have to wake her up" Williem's voice added after a moment, attracting questioning glances from Ifalna and Tenzen.

"She needs her rest" the swordsman spat, narrowing his eyes as a slight hint of anger shadowed his features.

"I know that, don't get me wrong, but she's the only one who has the power to show us the way leading to that madman, and we're leaving now" the governor ordered in a tone that did not leave place to arguing.

Getting annoyingly frustrated, Tenzen muttered a curse under his breath as he turned his attention back to his sleeping friend, feeling a pang at his heart as he knew he had no choice but to remove her from one of her rare moments of peace. As much as he wanted to confront Williem, the swordsman knew that it would lead to foolish, venomous arguing that would only end up wasting their time and energy.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Tenzen got to his feet and reached Kitakaze's side before gently kneeling next to her, swallowing his annoyance away as he hoped their journey to be over soon, so that he could get away from Williem's selfish orders. In fact, their leader had been acting quite stubbornly since their departure, and Tenzen often wondered if it would have been better not to take him with them.

Shaking his head to chase his thoughts away, the swordsman put a comforting hand on Kitakaze's shoulder before gently shaking her out of dreamland. Groaning slightly in protestation, the girl turned on her back, an annoyed frown shadowing her features as she put a lazy hand in front of her closed eyelids to shy away from the sun rays.

"Kita…wake up…we have to go now" Tenzen said softly, feeling as if he was the biggest jerk alive.

"No…please…" the sleepy girl choked out, her voice cracking as if she was about to cry.

Feeling a strange aching tear at his chest, Tenzen sat down next to her and gently lifted her heavy, wounded body in his strong arms, holding her as close to him as he could. Then, she started weeping, curling her small fingers around the collar of his shirt as she buried her sorrowful visage on his chest, trembling weakly in his warm embrace.

"Kita…" Tenzen sighed, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to keep away the pain that flowed through his soul.

"…Why…why did you wake me? …" the girl sobbed in a weak, pleading voice.

"It's time to go, or else we'll loose Aerith's track" the swordsman explained, gently stroking her tangled hair as she held onto him like he was a life support.

"…I…I can't…I hurt too much…My…my body…when I slept…I didn't feel it's pain…" Kitakaze struggled to say, breaking Tenzen's heart even more.

"Don't worry. I'll carry you" the swordsman said soothingly before turning to shoot a venomous glance in Williem's direction.

Smiling sadly at his words, Kitakaze nodded slowly as the man she loved began to gently rock her back and forth in an attempt to comfort her and stop her salty tears from falling. The two stayed like that for a few moments, lost in the silence of the morning as the poor girl finally stopped crying and closed her pained brown eyes, ready to fall asleep once again…

"If you're ready, we'll be leaving now" the governor suddenly ordered, getting to his feet and speaking loud enough to startle Kitakaze.

Struggling to stop himself from tearing their leader into tiny little pieces, Tenzen clenched his jaw before rising to his feet, holding the young girl in his arms like a fragile, precious being. Noticing the tension surrounding Tenzen's body, Ifalna joined his side and decided to speak before Williem had the chance to.

"Dear…do you know where your sister is, now? Can you feel her presence?" the woman asked her daughter, worry tainting her soft, motherly voice.

"…No…I can't…" the wounded girl whispered, visibly struggling with all her strength to stop her heavy eyelids from sliding down her glistening eyes.

Shaking her head sadly, Ifalna closed her emerald eyes briefly, unable to bear the sight of her beloved daughter enduring so much pain. As she did so, Tenzen turned to look at Williem once again, his cerulean pools blazing with naked fury as he carefully chose his next words.

"She's in too much pain to feel anything. Her senses are dulled by the suffering she's enduring now. For the last few days, she pushed herself too much, and now we have the result in front of our eyes. I hope you're happy, Williem" the swordsman said, his words rolling over his tongue like poison.

Then, the two men stared each other down, none of them wanting to tear his gaze away and let the other win. Knowing that something had to be done to keep the situation under control, Ifalna placed herself between them, putting a hand on her hip as she did so.

"Last night, Aerith and Sephiroth were stationed in that direction, so I think it would be wise to go the same way as we did before stopping, since they most likely stayed in the same place for the entire night" the woman proposed, pointing to the horizon.

"Yes, let's just do that" Tenzen spat, immediately forcing his legs to move towards their destination.

A few minutes later, they were back on the road as Kitakaze slept in Tenzen's arms, sometimes whimpering as her broken body threatened to tear her away from her well needed rest.

'…I only hope that this damned jerk will not be stupid enough to do something that could provoke Sephiroth…' Tenzen thought, wondering why he never realised Williem's selfish, arrogant nature before.

--------------------

Some time later, Aerith and Sephiroth were sitting in front of each other, in the middle of a small restaurant, eating dinner before finally leaving the village to reach Aerith's city. Since they woke up that morning, Sephiroth had been very careful not to talk to her much, keeping his soul hidden behind a thick, freezing wall of blue ice, only nodding or giving her a short, efficient answer when she dared to ask him something. Naturally, his attitude didn't please her at all and she felt bad, afraid to have done something that could have disturbed him…even if she really didn't have the slightest idea of what it might be.

'He talked to me so openly last night…I wonder why he's acting so cold now?' she wondered to herself, scrutinizing his glowing pools with her emerald ones, trying to catch a glimpse of emotion, or thought, that might answer her worries.

But, nothing else than icy indifference shone in his green depths, to the flower girl's greatest disappointment. Getting annoyed, she sighed heavily, wondering how a person could be able to hide every little thought going on in his mind, even in front of the eyes of a perceptive woman like herself. Simply by wishing it, he could become the coldest man she ever met, never allowing her a single glimpse of his mind by burying it behind unbreakable walls.

'Why does it bother me so? He was always like that before the last few days…Never showing any kind of emotions and hiding his thoughts behind silver steel' the half-Cetra thought, taking a bite of her food.

Trying to enjoy the sweet taste of her meal, Aerith forced herself to admit that she would never be able to stand that kind of attitude from him now that she got close to his real, hidden self. But, more important than that…she was annoyed because the last thing she ever wanted was for him to ignore her. For some reason, seeing him act coldly like she was a complete stranger made her heart sink…and she couldn't bear his attitude any longer.

"Sephiroth?" she suddenly said, her growing frustration forcing her mouth to open before she even had the chance to think about it.

"Yes?" the cold man answered, raising an annoyed eyebrow at her.

"What's your problem?" the half-Cetra spat, an angered look plastered upon her delicate features.

"Do I look like someone who has a problem?" he replied darkly, looking straight at her with unwavering reptilian orbs.

Taken aback as she let his demonic eyes pierce a hole right through her soul, Aerith blinked surprisingly, letting his harsh words sink in as she felt salty tears gather at the corner of her emerald pools.

"I…I'm sorry. I'll stop…bothering you" she whispered sadly, turning her attention back to her plate in a nervous manner before taking her fork between her weak fingers to poke silently at her food, having lost the last of her appetite.

Noticing the lone tear that rolled down Aerith's cheek, Sephiroth felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation growing in his chest like wildfire…a feeling that he interpreted as nothing else than guilt. Him, the greatest monster of all times, felt guilty over a single tear falling down a pretty girl's face. He felt like laughing, but didn't allow his cold mask to fall down his blank, menacing face. Looking at her endearing, sad little figure, he couldn't help but wonder…

Why was she crying? It wasn't like he never acted that way towards her before…So…why?

Frowning, Sephiroth couldn't stop himself from stretching his gloved hand to meet hers, removing the fork from her fingers before intertwining his slender ones with hers. As soon as he did so, Aerith raised her sad eyes to meet his, letting a small smile grace her pink lips. Then, the silver haired man allowed a shadow of a smile to cross his blank features, wondering why a simple smile from her was enough to make a wave of blissful peace flow through his body.

That morning, he had woken up with bitter memories, reminding himself of the pitiful words he told the flower girl, pouring his soul out like some kind of weak jerk unable to think for himself. Never before had he done something so human, so…useless, and he felt like an annoying school boy. Last night, her eyes full of genuine compassion, she had listened to him and tried to cheer him up…making him feel like a damned human.

…But…after all, he was human, wasn't he? …

Getting frustrated at himself once again, Sephiroth shook his head slightly to chase his disturbing thoughts away, persuading himself that he only needed to clear his mind and think logically. He had tried to ignore her presence as much as he could, to keep his thoughts away from her slender form and kind eyes. For some reason, her very existence was enough to scatter his thoughts in a whirlwind of pathetic confusion…and his sleepless night had allowed him to realise one important thing…

Somehow, Aerith had managed to get a tiny bit of control over him, making him react in a way that he wouldn't normally. Without even knowing it, she had wrapped her tiny, slender fingers around his tainted soul, slowly trying to invade him with her glowing brightness. Knowing that, Sephiroth certainly wasn't going to fall for it. Nobody would ever succeed in manipulating him, and he would make sure to regain every last bit of control he previously had over himself. But, even so, he realised now that trying to avoid acknowledging her was utterly pointless and would get him nowhere.

'It was all part of the plan. Yes, that's it. My words last night…were only a trick to gain her sincere, blind trust, I simply need to prevent that trust from getting to me' the silver haired man told himself, trying not to smirk as his gloved hand gently stroked Aerith's delicate palm, her smile only growing as a slight blush crept on her porcelain cheeks.

He then decided that acting coldly towards her would only push her away…and he certainly didn't want that. Plunging his now softer eyes into her sweet emeralds, Sephiroth was grateful to have his gloves on, since he couldn't feel her silky skin under his feathery touch. Not that it wouldn't be pleasant, far from it, but he really didn't need anymore stimulus to blurry his senses.

"Don't worry, Aerith. I'm fine" he finally told her in a deep, velvet voice that reached right through her heart.

Titling her head on the side, she smiled softly at him, wondering why his words made her so happy, why she desperately wished for him to remove his gloves and allow her to feel his soft fingers on her sensible skin…But, most of all, she was relieved to see that he dropped his cold mask once again, allowing her to see him for who he really was, instead of showing her the part of him that reminded her of the dark man he was before…and of her death.

0o0o0o0o0o

Some time later, Aerith and her silver haired companion finally left the village, walking side by side across an endless, grassy plain spreading widely under the shining sun. Excited by the idea of finally returning home and thoroughly happy with the fact that Sephiroth was no longer hiding behind icy walls, the flower girl almost glowed as a sincere, contented smile illuminated her entire face. But, as she walked silently, her lips curved upwards mischievously while her eyes traveled to Sephiroth's side, her hand sliding to his much larger one as she shyly intertwined her fingers with his, feeling a wave of blinding happiness drown her senses as he closed his hand around hers, not showing any sign of annoyance.

Feeling a slight blush warming her cheeks as she realised that he _wanted_ to hold her hand, Aerith couldn't help but feel a little confused about her own feelings, unable to deny her growing need to get close to him, to smell his wonderful scent and feel his skin on hers, if only in a feather light touch…Not to mention that she didn't usually walk hand in hand with anybody, just for the fun of it…

'I wonder what _he_ wants from me…' the young woman wondered, raising her sunny eyes to cast a glance at Sephiroth's attractive face.

Giving her a not-quite-cold look, Sephiroth took in every detail of her glowing, porcelain face, feeling as if her joy emanated from her like beams of bright light and tried to infect his own mind. Eager to break the uneasiness spreading through him as he was slowly falling under her spell, the silver haired man forced his mind to work and find something to say …

"Is returning home the reason for your happiness" he asked as flatly as he could, suppressing a smirk as her cheeks took on a rosy hue.

"Yes" the half-Cetra answered, turning her attention back to the road as she did not want to admit that _he_ was also a reason for her contentment.

"I see"

"…It's about time, though. I don't have any money left…That last dinner ate up every last Gil I had left" the young woman added, giggling, more out of embarrassment than fun.

"I guess. I wondered where you got all that money in the first place"

"Well, I worked at a weapon shop" Aerith explained, a sweet smile drawing itself on her lips as she thought about her time spent with Tenzen.

Intrigued, Sephiroth gave her a questioning look under raised eyebrows.

"You? In a weapon shop?" He said flatly before letting out a slight chuckle.

"Hey, what's so funny?" exclaimed Aerith indignantly.

"You're the very last person that I would have imagined working in a shop that sells dangerous things" the swordsman commented.

Then, knowing that he was right, Aerith couldn't help but giggle, playing with a lone chestnut curl, using her free hand.

"I know. But I liked it"

At that statement, Sephiroth only nodded, staying silent once again as they focused their attention on the road, wondering what the future had in store for them.

'I wonder how everyone is going to react…After all, I did disappear without a single word, and now I'll be coming back with _Sephiroth_, of all people…acting all friendly towards a man I used to hate' the half-Cetra thought, feeling a bit nervous as she realised that, maybe, things wouldn't be as easy as she hoped for them to.

-------------------

A few hours flew by as Tenzen and his traveling companions walked in a steady pace, Kitakaze still lying protectively in the swordsman's arms, even if she was awake for quite some time now. Her arms curled tightly around his strong neck, the young girl was now able to give her friends some instruction to guide their way and lead them to a certain flower girl, as her pain had lessened considerably.

"We should reach them very soon, now. They're walking towards us, so it shouldn't be long…" the young Cetra explained, smiling in anticipation as she couldn't wait to see her sister again.

But, soon enough, Tenzen began to feel her constant weight tearing at his tired muscles, unable to hold her any longer even if he wanted to. Not to mention that it would be wiser for him to keep his energy, in case something bad happened…

"…Can you walk?" he asked her, feeling bad for it but knowing he had to replenish his strength.

"Yes, of course" Kitakaze answered cheerfully, letting him put her gently back on the ground.

Then, she took front, ignoring the aching of her muscles as she led her companions, slightly regretting the loss of Tenzen's warmth…and afraid of the fact that maybe, in a few hours, she would loose him to her beloved sister.

After a while, Kitakaze began to feel incredibly dizzy, trying not to loose track of the road as she walked steadily, hiding her suffering from the eyes of others. A burning pain thundering in her skull like a million hammers slamming against her fragile temples, the young Cetra closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep, calming breath as her senses lost track of the wind's guidance once again.

'Please…we…we're almost there…' she thought to herself, blinking to chase away the tears that gathered at the corner of her tired eyes.

Forcing her dulled mind to concentrate as much as she could, Kitakaze succeeded in regaining control over her powers, feeling a bit relieved as she realised that it was only a matter of moments before she would meet her sister and end that tiring journey. This gave her the courage to walk a little faster, trying not to scream out loud as her sore muscles ached terribly, making her feel as if each step caused a million tiny little needles to pierce her tender flesh to the bones.

'Is that how it feels, the pain of death? …' the young Cetra asked herself, feeling numb as she resigned herself to her inevitable fate.

Sighing softly as she felt cold sweat roll down her forehead, Kitakaze knew that she couldn't go on anymore. Soon enough, her legs would fail her and she would crumble to the ground, her knees falling under her weight like melting butter.

'…I won't die…not…before long…I still have some time…But if…if the pain is so hard to bear right now…What will it be, when I'll be on my deathbed?' she thought bitterly, finally letting a lone tear roll down her porcelain cheek as she felt her eyes close slowly as if they had a mind of their own…

Then, Kitakaze felt her knees go weak a second before her heavy, worn out body hit the ground with a loud thud. In a split second, Tenzen was by her side, kneeling in front of her unconscious form, shaking his head sadly.

"I guess we'll have to wait until she wakes up…I'm tired anyway…I…can't go on…" the swordsman whispered, dropping to a sitting position, next to his friend.

"Yes" Ifalna approved, her voice trembling from refrained tears.

And, for once, Williem had the wise idea to keep his mouth shut.

----------------

A while later…

Getting tired of their long walk, Aerith let out a heavy, bored sigh as she was still walking by Sephiroth's side, holding his hand in hers. But, as she was lost in random thoughts, she got sight of a group of people sitting a good distance away, but not far enough for her to raise an intrigued eyebrow.

'…Am I hallucinating?' she asked herself as she let go of Sephiroth's hand to put it on top of her narrowed eyes to block the sun from her vision.

After taking a good look, Aerith felt her heart leap in her chest with a mix of happiness, worry and anticipation as she recognized the silhouettes.

'…Oh my god, why didn't I think about it before? They must have left the city to search for me, after I suddenly disappeared!' the half-Cetra thought, a bright smile drawing itself on her lips as she leapt forward, running to her friends…

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**A/N: I know, I'm really evil right now for ending the chapter this way, but you're going to know the rest on the next one! I'll try to update fast, so you won't have to wait too long. I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but well... lol, tell me what you think of it. I know there's not much AeriSeph in it, but don't worry, the next ones will have plenty of it. So, don't forget to review!**


	15. Revelation

**Disclaimer : I don't own Final Fantasy VII.**

**A/N: Like I promised, here's a fast update to repay my lack of work (yes I kinda threw the last chapter on the site without working much to get it better….forgive me). So, I hope you'll like it, and I shall tell you that, from now on, updates will come less, less often since school is choking me to death and I also have personal issues to deal with, and it's really _not_ good for my inspiration, lol, I hope it doesn't show too much... **

**So, on with the fic!**

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Last Chapter…

After taking a good look, Aerith felt her heart leap in her chest with a mix of happiness, worry and anticipation as she recognized the silhouettes.

'…Oh my god, why didn't I think about it before? They must have left the city to search for me, after I suddenly disappeared!' the half-Cetra thought, a bright smile drawing itself on her lips as she leapt forward, running to her friends…

----------------

Silently observing Kitakaze's unconscious, sweat covered face, Tenzen sighed heavily, feeling totally helpless as he knew that there was nothing he could do to help her. In fact, every attempt made by Ifalna to heal her wounds never had any effect, and the woman was one of the most talented healers in Radiant Garden.

But, as he was lost in depressing, darks thoughts, a cheerful, blissfully familiar voice rang from somewhere in front of him, calling his name. Surprised as he felt a wave of hope flow through his entire being, Tenzen raised his gaze upwards to see a pink-clad girl running wildly in their direction, followed by a calm silver haired man, who walked some steps behind her.

Immediately recognizing Aerith and assuming that the tall shadow lurking next to her was indeed Sephiroth, Tenzen got to his feet in one swift motion, instinctively standing in front of Kitakaze's crumbled form, hiding her from view…and from any potential danger. His renewed hope flowing through his veins like wildfire, Tenzen stood perfectly still, thinking that maybe, they would finally find the way to stop his best friend's suffering.

As Aerith approached, he noticed that, fortunately, she didn't seem to have been infected and was in perfect shape. In fact, she was running amazingly fast… and, in the split second following his last deduction, she bumped against his chest, wrapping her small arms around his torso as she buried her smiling face on his white shirt.

"Tenzen! I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed, raising her sparkling emerald eyes to meet his blue ones.

But, as she saw the uneasy look spreading on his handsome face, her smile faded to be replaced by worry.

"What's wrong?" the half-Cetra asked softly as Sephiroth stopped a few meters away from them.

Raising his cerulean eyes to look at him briefly, Tenzen frowned as he saw a strange sparkle cross his reptilian orbs as he watched Aerith, who still held him in an iron grip. Trying not to comprehend the emotion hidden behind those unnatural, icy eyes, Tenzen turned his attention back to the pink-clad woman, pushing her away slightly, even if he wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly and never let go.

"…Aerith…don't. I can't let you touch me, or get anywhere near me" he said, trying not to show how much his heart bled as the words painfully rolled down his tongue.

On that note, Sephiroth suppressed a satisfied smirk, wondering why he felt so…frustrated just by seeing Aerith hold that man, who, he deduced, was one of her friends. Trying to get a hold of his own abnormal emotions, he watched silently as the young woman released Tenzen and took a step back, letting her arms fall to her side in a sad, slow motion. He then noticed that his lungs seemed to work more normally once she was at a decent distance away from the man.

'…Hmph…now, I'm starting to get jealous. How did I manage to become so pathetic?' he wondered, crossing his arms over his chest as Aerith spoke with a tiny, broken voice.

"What's wrong?" she asked her friend, holding her breath as she felt her heart drowning itself in a wave of sorrow.

Unsure of how he should answer her question, Tenzen looked at Ifalna, who simply shot a subtle glance behind him. Understanding the message, Tenzen stepped aside, allowing Aerith to see her sister, lying on the ground like a broken doll, her arms and legs completely bruised, stained by unnatural, dark purple patches.

As soon as her eyes took on the terrible sight, Aerith fell to her knees, putting a shaking hand to her mouth as salty tears flowed down her pink cheeks, her lips trembling while her breath got caught in her throat. Unable to think properly, the flower girl stayed deadly silent, hoping that someone would be kind enough to give her some explanations.

After a few moments of heavy, unbearable silence, Ifalna forced her voice to work as her brain tried to put the words together to try and explain everything to her crying daughter.

"…She's got a really dangerous sickness. If we don't do something very soon, she'll… …Well, no Cetra in history has ever survived that virus, and she'll be no exception…And…this is really contagious, so…Tenzen and I are already infected as well. That's why…you shouldn't come into close contact with us…" Ifalna struggled to say, turning her sad eyes away to hide her tears.

Swallowing the information, Aerith took a moment to get a hold of herself before finally speaking.

"…Can…can you be more precise? What _is_ the sickness you're talking about? And why are you here, in the middle of nowhere, when you could be trying to find a cure? What's going on?" the half-Cetra exclaimed, tasting her own tears as her lips pronounced the words.

Taking a deep breath, Ifalna explained the whole situation, the fact that Kitakaze had come into contact with Jenova's cells while trying to help Sephiroth in his unconscious state and got infected with the most powerful virus that ever struck the Cetra race, and …

"…We left Radiant Garden to find Sephiroth, since he is most likely the only one who could be able to save her. After all, he's the reason why she is dying now" Ifalna finally said as both Aerith and Sephiroth had a shocked expression written all over their faces.

Once again, silence fell upon them as Aerith slowly got to her feet, her back facing Sephiroth, since she absolutely didn't want to see him at the moment. The only thing she wanted to do was grab her sister's body and shake her out of her forced slumber, just to see her golden brown eyes flutter open and look at her, giving an undeniable sign that she was still alive…

Then, without thinking, she leapt forward, bending down next to Kitakaze's body, ready to do exactly what her illogical state of mind told her to do. On clue, Tenzen took a hold of her arm in one swift, efficient motion before she had the chance to reach the wounded girl, being careful not to touch her skin with any of his bruises.

"Stop, Aerith. Nobody here wants to see you infected. For some reason, you managed to escape infection as of now, and I'll make sure you stay that way" he told her firmly, releasing her hand as soon as she calmed down, letting her fall to her knees once again, next to her sister's body.

"…You're right, Tenzen. I…have to be strong…for her…" the half-Cetra whispered under her tears.

As Aerith fell silent, looking dully at the ground beneath her, Ifalna took another deep breath before looking straight in the eyes of the man who had murdered her daughter all those years ago, gathering all her courage to ask him a favour.

"Sephiroth… I know you may not care about the situation but… I ask of you… please, will you help us?" the woman asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as she could, plunging her unwavering green eyes in his glowing depths.

Holding his gaze locked with hers, the silver haired man stayed silent, trying to find an answer to her unexpected question. For a moment, he had the illusionary impression that those green eyes were the ones of his pink-clad companion, and her strong stare made him feel a little uneasy.

…How could he say no to those kind, sweet emeralds? …

"…What makes you think that I can help you?" he finally asked, his tone neutral.

"You're the one who brought that sickness here. My daughter is dying…because she tried to help you…That virus is way stronger than Geostigma…we Cetras absolutely can't heal it…So…if someone has the power to give us a cure, it would most likely be you. I don't like the sound of it, but you may be our only hope" Ifalna explained, hoping that she wasn't only losing her time, trying to convince him to do something good for a change.

"…"

Pondering the question in his twisted mind, Sephiroth analysed the body language of the striking woman standing before him, wanting to know if she was trying to trick him. After a moment, he concluded that her words were sincere and held no threat to him, not to mention that she looked exactly like Aerith, except a bit older, an obvious detail that gave her a great advantage. After all, the flower girl had always been kind and honest with him…

As if on cue, the half-Cetra raised a pair of pleading eyes to his, silently begging him to accept her mother's proposal. But, just as much as he wanted to say yes and see what he could do for Aerith's sister, a part of his greedy soul tempted him to take advantage of the situation. Maybe, if he took some time to gather his thoughts and think about it, he could be able to come up with a wonderful plan and take over the Cetra race by letting them fall under the deadly grip of the Jenova infection, finally accomplishing his quest for power. Torn between Aerith's sorrowful face and his own madness, Sephiroth felt like a hopeless man who wasn't even able to make decisions for himself.

But, he didn't have time to get annoyed at himself as a commanding, male voice suddenly rang when Williem decided to come in the picture.

"We won't give you a choice, Sephiroth. You brought that virus here, you have to get rid of it. If you don't help voluntarily, we'll have no choice but to drag you to Radiant Garden by force" the governor said firmly, to everyone's greatest annoyance as a thick tension suddenly surrounded them.

As for Sephiroth, he was quite pleased to hear those words, letting a satisfied smirk spread on his lips as his confused mind was finally cleared, allowing him to make a decision. Maybe the women were sincere, but a provocation like that was enough to remind him of the fact that trusting others was not a gift that he should give easily. For that, he would not help them. No one had ever gave him an order since he had the power to defend himself, and he certainly wasn't going to let some stupid, important-looking Cetra try and tell him what to do. Not to mention that Williem was quite fat, and seemed to be the kind of dumb, rich man who does nothing else but give orders and take advantage of others. Just like President Shinra. Oh, how good it had felt to pierce that old bastard with his beloved Masamune… …Maybe, after all, the Cetras weren't as much worthy of his respect as he previously thought…

Pleased by the memory of Shinra's death and fuelled by his dark deduction, Sephiroth's smile grew wider as Aerith frantically searched her own mind to try and find something to say. Right about now, the man standing in front of her had the same look on his face than the day he murdered her in cold blood…and she knew that Williem had made a grave mistake.

'Gods, is he stupid? That's _not_ a good way to deal with him!' the flower girl thought, panicking.

"…Do you _really_ think that you would be able to force me?" the silver haired man asked in a wicked, deep voice that sent chills along Aerith's spine.

"Of course. This man here is the most talented swordsman in all of Radiant Garden, and I'm sure he would have no trouble defeating you" replied Williem in reference to Tenzen, making both Aerith and Ifalna gasp as the swordman in question visibly tensed.

"Oh, really? …Try, then"

On that note, Sephiroth unsheathed his unnaturally long sword as a flow of adrenaline burned through his entire body, an eerie light glowing in his bright, Mako eyes. As he did so, Tenzen's knowing eyes slid along the silver blade of the Masamune, amazement spreading on his features. That sword wasn't any ordinary weapon, and it's master certainly knew how to use it properly …Not to mention that he never wanted to put up a fight in the first place.

"I won't fight!" The Cetra then exclaimed, shooting a venomous glance in Williem's direction, thinking that if he wanted bloodshed, he could do it himself, instead of leaving him to do his dirty work.

"Sephiroth! Please, stop this! You have to help us!" Aerith approved in a pleading, desperate voice as a wave of new tears fell down her puffy face.

"I won't" the silver haired man stated, trying to sound as cold as he could manage, not wanting to even acknowledge that Aerith's voice had, somehow, reached to his core, making him doubt for a single moment.

"Please! I beg you! She'll die!" the flower girl screamed hopelessly, hiding her face behind tiny hands as her body trembled uncontrollably, curled strands of hair flowing in front of her figure as the wind blew furiously.

Getting confused again, Sephiroth clenched his jaw and looked away, caught between his thirst for a challenging fight and the bitter sweetness of Aerith's tears. Noticing his hesitation, Tenzen spoke again, trying to convince him to do the right thing and ignore Williem's mistake.

"I don't want to fight you, Sephiroth, but Kitakaze needs your help, and I won't let her die. That's the only reason I'm here"

On that note, Sephiroth's reptilian eyes moved from Aerith's trembling form to her critically wounded sister, then to his would-be opponent. Contrarily to Williem, Tenzen seemed to be quite trustable, and the two crying women obviously didn't want anything else than Kitakaze's safety… Not to mention that if her sister should die because he selfishly refused to help, Aerith would never be able to forgive him. After all, he had destroyed her life back on their home planet, and causing Kitakaze's death would just be too much. Besides, if he decided to help, he would gain her complete, blind trust…But, he couldn't just obey that fat man's orders without something concrete to convince him to …

So, once again, he found himself unable to make a choice, and decided to find an option that would end the conflict going on in his mind, once and for all. So, after a moment, he finally made a decision that stood between both of his choices and took a fighting stance, locking his icy jade eyes with Tenzen's cerulean ones.

"I'll make a deal with you. If you give me enough of a challenge, I'll follow your little group and see what I can do for that girl. Also, you must be aware that I won't hold back and I expect you to do the same" The silver haired man finally proposed, eager to immerge himself in a decent fight.

Then, Tenzen stayed silent for a few seconds, pondering the proposition in his mind, not totally convinced that engaging in a sword fight with the silver haired man who had tried to destroy a whole planet would be a wise idea. But, he knew that he had to make a decision _now_… and Kitakaze's life depended on it. So, he finally drew his own sword, readying himself for the greatest challenge he ever had to face…

"All right" Tenzen approved, taking a fighting stance.

'For Kitakaze…' the Cetra thought inwardly as a satisfied smirk spread on Sephiroth's figure.

Then, the silver haired man leapt forward and, the next second, the two men clashed swords as Aerith and Ifalna held their breath, cursing inwardly at Williem for opening his damned mouth and getting them caught in a really bad situation. But, they had no choice except to stay silent and watch helplessly, hoping that no one would get critically hurt.

So, a few minutes went by and the two women stared intently at the action going on before them, a bit relieved to see that Tenzen was very well able to stand up to Sephiroth, moving with incredible speed and agility that even Cloud couldn't manage. Each time the silver haired man tried to hit him with his outrageously long, sharp blade, Tenzen avoided the blow rather easily in one swift, fluid motion, or simply blocked it with his much shorter weapon. From the look on Sephiroth's face, Aerith could tell that he was enjoying himself thoroughly, probably because his opponent really gave him some challenge after all.

'Gods…how is this going to end? …' Aerith worried inwardly, her eyes never leaving the gracious movements of the two swordsmen.

"Hmph. Impressive" Sephiroth admitted when Tenzen avoided a rather nasty attack without much of a problem.

Trying not to let his opponent distract him with unexpected comments, the Cetra stayed focused, readying himself to cast a powerful spell as soon as the opportunity showed itself to him. Then, Sephiroth slashed at him once again, only to have his attack dodged, leaving him slightly unguarded for a second, giving Tenzen the opening he needed. So, a split second after his failed attack, Sephiroth was hit by a wave of blinding, powerful white energy that struck him right in the chest, making him gasp as an unbearable, burning pain spread through his entire body, knocking the wind out of him.

Watching with wide, frightened eyes as Sephiroth was hit, Aerith held her breath, nervously playing with a lone curl as her heart raced furiously under her chest, thundering against her ribcage. No doubt about it, Tenzen surely knew how to fight just as much as he was talented in making efficient weapons.

But… he wouldn't go too far now, would he? …

As Aerith was trying to stop her heart from exploding out of her chest while her thoughts were filled with incredible worry and nervousness, Kitakaze twitched slightly, a movement that wasn't noticed by anyone as they were all focused on the silver haired man and his opponent, who were still furiously clashing swords and avoiding deadly attacks in a swift, gracious dance of death.

Letting out a slight groan as she slowly awoke, being forcefully brought back to reality by the raging assault of the wind blowing on her bruised skin, Kitakaze opened her heavy eyelids, her dull, confused eyes staring at the grey sky as she did so, reminding her that, somehow, she was still alive…

But, as she slowly but surely awoke from her slumber, the young Cetra recognised the sound of metal hitting metal, frowning as she rolled to her side, trying to ignore the pain tearing at her muscles. Doing so, she saw her sister, kneeling next to her, and realised the situation. Blinking, Kitakaze raised her brown eyes in the direction of the metallic sounds, her chocolate orbs growing wide as she saw Tenzen fighting the exact same man who had cursed her with the virus that would end her life.

Then, her heart leapt in her chest as the man she loved almost failed to avoid a blow aimed for his chest. Slowly, he was beginning to tire, but was still strong enough to stand a while longer. As for Sephiroth, his every move were gracious, almost feline while he fought with obvious expertise, his entire being shining with burning adrenaline as his slender hands held his blade in a perfect, deadly grip. To her, he seemed like the incarnation of death itself…and he was now trying to send the love of her life to his grave.

A moment later, Sephiroth leapt in the air to try and sneak behind Tenzen, who patiently waited for him to make a mistake… and that's exactly what he was about to do. So, as soon as his enemy landed behind him, Tenzen drew his blade backwards, not even flinching as the cold metal touched warm flesh…

"No!" came Aerith's frightened scream as Sephiroth was cut across the chest, the sharp blade leaving a crimson line along his pale skin.

Getting distracted by her horrified voice, Tenzen turned to look in her direction, but Sephiroth took the opportunity to strike him before their eyes even had the chance to meet. Gasping as the Masamune sliced at his back, Tenzen stumbled forward as his enemy came to stand in front of him.

Now that both were injured enough to bleed, Aerith had to stop herself from running to them and placing herself between their furious beings in an attempt to stop that insanity. How could they possibly accomplish something by tearing each other into tiny little pieces?

As for Kitakaze, she was trying not to give back the contents of her stomach as a whirlwind of foreign feelings flowed through her entire being, filling her with sensations that weren't even her own, making her head ache with confusion. All around her, the wind blew with unbelievable force, drowning her senses, connecting her with the minds of the ones next to her…

And she felt love, hate, pain, sadness… worry… wrapped up by a tiny sparkle of fury that didn't belong with the rest and left her with a bitter taste as she knew most of those feelings belonged to her sister.

'Love…Aerith, yes, she…she's in love with Tenzen…' the young Cetra thought, feeling warm tears gather themselves at the corner of her eyes as she finally recognized her own sadness…

'…I'm going to die…anyway … She'll be able to love him without me being there to bother them…'

As she started sobbing on the hard, dirty ground, more sword clashes were heard, then a gasp as Tenzen produced another powerful spell that struck at Sephiroth, hard…

'But, still…I… don't want to die…If he kills him…I'll die, no?…And Tenzen…gods…I…don't want to go on without him…' Kitakaze reflected in the back of her mind, forcing her weak muscles to work as she silently kneeled, finally attracting Aerith's attention.

"Kitakaze! You're awake!" the half-Cetra exclaimed as she turned to face the girl, her eyes connecting with those of her younger sister.

"…We…We must stop them…please…please stop…" the wounded girl whispered, her voice cracking under her tears.

On the battlefield, Sephiroth's chest was now bleeding profusely as none of the swordsmen seemed ready to admit defeat and stubbornly continued fighting, only wanting to stop when their body would give up to exhaustion. Fresh drops of warm crimson stained the ground as both of them bled a bit too much for Ifalna's tastes, making the scene even more frightening for Kitakaze, who now realised fully that they were most likely fighting because of her…

"Stop…Please! … STOP!" she suddenly screamed with all the force her lungs could manage, startling the two swordsmen, who immediately stopped their foolish actions and turned their attention towards her.

Then, everything went silent as the adrenaline pumping all over the air slowly faded away, the only sound reaching their ears being their own ragged breaths mixed with the whistles of the blowing wind.

"…Will you help us now?" Tenzen asked after a moment, turning to face his former opponent.

"You managed to strike me. I guess I shall be true to my words" Sephiroth answered after a slight hesitation, finally sheathing his sword.

Relieved to see that, after all, everything had ended up well, Tenzen managed a weak smile as he placed his own weapon back in it's sheath, wondering how far the fight would have gone if Kitakaze hadn't reacted, since both of them were too stubborn to stop their own pointless madness. Surely, from now on, things would get better for everyone…or at least, he wanted to believe it.

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**A/N: I don't consider this chapter to be much of a fight scene since it's not my specialty so I didn't describe the fight too much, but I hope it was good enough. Next chapter will have plenty of cute AeriSeph in it, I promise! And also, the story will become more and more interesting. At least, in my opinion lol … So, until next time! **


	16. Sweet sadness

**I don't own FF7.**

**A/N : After a while, here's a new chapter for you. I finished it some days ago, but the site had huge problems and I wasn't able to upload it. By the way, I enabled anonymous reviews since some time now, so everyone can leave comments. Well, I hope you have fun while reading it!**

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Last chapter…

Relieved to see that, after all, everything had ended up well, Tenzen managed a weak smile as he placed his own weapon back in it's sheath, wondering how far the fight would have gone if Kitakaze hadn't reacted, since both of them were too stubborn to stop their own pointless madness. Surely, from now on, things would get better for everyone…or at least, he wanted to believe it.

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As soon as both swordsmen had sheathed their deadly blade, Aerith jumped to her feet, immediately reaching their side, her whole being trembling with unbearable worry as she inspected the nasty cuts wounding their bloodied skin.

"Gods, you're both bleeding profusely…" she sighed, shaking her head sadly, exasperated.

Then, she looked around in search of an appropriate location where they could settle down, giving her time and space to take care of those wounds and, maybe, take some time to get as hold of her own raging emotions.

"Oh, I see a small river over there…We should stop by, I really need to clean those wounds and heal you both" the flower girl finally decided, pointing in the direction of her point of interest.

"…Aerith….you can't…" Tenzen objected, his voice filled with something close to sorrow.

"What?" the flower girl exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

Sighing, Tenzen lowered his eyes to the ground briefly before raising his gaze to meet Aerith's determined eyes.

"You can heal him…but not me…you'll get sick if you do, remember?"

"Oh…" Aerith sighed, sadness spreading all over her tired face.

"I'll take care of Tenzen, ok?" Ifalna proposed, looking at her daughter with kind eyes, sorrowfully refraining from putting a gentle hand on Aerith's shoulder.

Knowing that she had no choice but to accept the situation, the half-Cetra lowered her dulled eyes to the ground, letting out a soft, defeated sigh.

"Alright… But…I feel terribly bad…If I hadn't left the city in the first place, none of this would have ever happened! …I wish I could do something" the flower girl said softly, her voice breaking as she fought to refrain her tears from falling.

"Aerith…it's not your fault…" her mother answered sadly but sincerely.

Sighing once again before raising her dark eyes to meet her mother's, the flower girl forced a tiny smile to appear on her lips, trying to look strong when she only wanted to break down in tears.

"You're right, mom…" Aerith then answered, before turning her bloodshot emeralds to meet Sephiroth's icy jades.

Then, she lowered her eyes to his bleeding chest, regaining her composure as she realised that they were loosing precious time. Something had to be done about it and, even more importantly, they had to find a way to save Kitakaze, who was now sitting on the ground, looking at the sky with a blank expression on her face, as if nothing was going on in her mind… nothing at all. Obviously, she was in danger of losing not only her body, but also her sanity.

"…I guess we should go, now" Aerith decided in a regained resolve, forcing her legs to work as she headed in the direction of the small river.

0o0o0o0o0

Once they reached their destination, Sephiroth lazily sat down on a flat rock standing by the lake, removing his heavy leather coat before letting it drop to the ground as Aerith was standing a couple of meters away, talking with her acquaintances. Wondering why she insisted on healing something as insignificant as a single cut, even if it was rather deep, he silently observed her, totally ignoring the burning pain invading his chest. Then, he raised an intrigued eyebrow as he listened to her words…

"…Could you please…give me some time alone with him? I…need to talk to him" the half-cetra asked her friends in a soft, hesitant voice that gave her shyness away.

"I can't see why _you_ would want to be alone with that man…But…it does feel like there's something going on that none of us here knows about. …So…I guess it's alright, then. I'll go to the other side of the river with Tenzen and take care of his wound. That way, you'll be able to have some privacy" Ifalna answered, implying that Williem and Kitakaze would come with her and give them some peace as well, whether they wanted it or not.

"Thank you" Aerith smiled, intertwining her fingers behind her back and bowing slightly as she tried to ignore the confused looks plastered all over her friend's faces.

"It's nothing. Well, shall we go?" her mother answered, turning to the rest of the group.

Understanding Aerith's desire on some level, Tenzen simply nodded, heading in the opposite direction of Sephiroth's location, like proposed by Ifalna. Then, the others followed almost reluctantly as Kitakaze, who had come out of her daze, promised herself to ask a lot of questions once she had some time alone with her sister… but, she knew that no one would allow it, afraid that she might infect her. Sighing sadly, she lazily followed the group, her eyes fixated on the ground as she walked sorrowfully.

Once they were out of sight, Aerith let out a long, heavy sigh to evacuate all of her nervousness, fear and tension caused by the previous events, trying to gather her thoughts as she finally went to reach Sephiroth's side, giving him a slight, shy smile before taking a white, clean cloth from her back pack, readying herself for the task.

As for Sephiroth, he silently observed her, analysing her nervous gestures, knowing that something was definitely wrong with her.

'Of course she doesn't feel very well. She just learned that her sister is dying' he told himself, but something in the back of his mind told him that there was more to it than that.

A frown shadowing her sorrowful face, she turned to the lake and knelt, drowning the white cloth in the cold, glowing water, her back facing him as she performed her task, hidden behind a wall of thick silence. As he was no fool, the silver haired man knew that he was part of the reason why she acted so strange, and certainly wasn't going to let her avoid him.

"What's wrong?" he asked flatly, trying not to shiver as the wind blew violently against his bare, wounded chest, sadistically burning his exposed flesh.

Upon hearing his question, Aerith rose to her feet and took a deep breath, looking at the bright sparkles dancing upon the water as the sun rays touched it's surface, trying to gather her thoughts. Then, she sighed once again before slightly shaking her head in a dismissive manner.

"Nothing. Don't worry about me. …I'm just a little troubled about what I learned today, that's all" she lied, giving him her trademark fake smile.

Knowing that Sephiroth wasn't buying it at all, she still didn't say anything more as she reached him and sat by his side before beginning to wipe the wet cloth at his bleeding cut, forcing her mind to concentrate on the task at hand, instead of daydreaming about the fact that he was absolutely handsome, and to chase away her gloomy thoughts as her spirit was lost in a blinding wave of contradictive emotions. Right now, she was too confused to try and tell him what was lingering inside her lonely heart, and she decided to stay quiet for now, waiting for the right moment.

So, as she carefully slid the tissue over the silver haired man's chest, Aerith started humming softly, as it always helped her to get her mind off of things and clear her thoughts. Doing so, she felt Sephiroth's Mako eyes burning right through her tired being, trying to get a glimpse of her mind by following her absent gaze with his own, even if she did not look at him. Then, she blissfully inhaled the scent of him as the wind blew softly and allowed a slight, sweet smile to draw itself on her lips as she suddenly realised something that brightened her messy thoughts.

Right now, after the dangerous events that had just happened, they were alone, sitting near a small river in a peaceful silence, simply enjoying the other's presence and feeling the fresh wind chilling their skin, reminding them of the very simple fact that they were _alive_. That single detail made her realise how much she had feared for his life as he pointlessly fought with Tenzen, getting hurt without even showing a single sign of stopping this madness. Looking at them, she had felt like her heart would explode out of her chest, making her whole body tremble with fright…and never before had she felt something so overwhelming. She had been afraid that he would leave her and disappear from her life forever, just like everyone who touched her heart ever did. Loosing Zack for a second time and having to remove Cloud from her existence was an experience that she had a hard time accepting, and she didn't have the strength left to loose anyone anymore.

'Now Kitakaze may disappear too … If we don't do something fast, she'll fade away… and Sephiroth… I… I can't bear the thought of loosing any of them…' the young woman thought, swallowing her own drowning sorrow, unable to bear the aching of her wounded heart.

But, even if she had been afraid for others before and cried a thousand tears for them, this time was different. There was something else, a feeling stronger than anything she had ever felt before, hidden deep within the deepest reaches of her soul, a sentiment that she finally accepted…even thought she couldn't even begin to guess how it happened, and she had no clue as to how she was going to deal with it.

Then, feeling as if the fog blurring her mind was finally beginning to clear away, she raised a pair of sparkling, sad eyes to meet the ones of her former enemy, feeling new tears gathering slowly at the corner of her green orbs. Staying silent for a moment longer, she gathered her thoughts as she finally knew the words she wanted to say.

"Sephiroth…please, don't ever do something like that again" she said in a soft voice, putting a delicate hand on his pale cheek after laying the blood stained cloth on the rock that served as their bench.

Wondering what she meant exactly by that, the silver haired man raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Something like what?"

Slowly, her smile grew a little wider, but her face never lost the lingering sadness imprinted on it, her inner light slightly dulled by the aching of her heart.

"You…you threw yourself in a dangerous situation… you could have been killed…You have no idea how much I was afraid for you…" she confessed, her voice trembling slightly as a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

Taken slightly aback, and feeling uncomfortable by her sudden change of behaviour as her soft, emotion filled voice resonated in his mind like some foreign, enchanted music, Sephiroth wondered why something so insignificant bothered her so much, why her eyes were suddenly filled with a comforting warmth contrasting with her sorrowful features… She had no reason to react that way, after all, he was used to fighting, and that always had been his reason for existing. Also, it wasn't like he could loose, anyway …

'Hmph. Yeah, right. I'm a fool if I still think that way' he reprimanded himself, knowing that he was absolutely wrong.

'I always thought that I was invincible, even after Cloud managed to defeat me. I should know by now that I'm not…' he told himself in the back of his mind, getting frustrated as he didn't want to admit something like that, since it made him feel weak and useless.

Then, the small brunette gently laid her head against his shoulder, tearing him away from his train of thoughts.

"…Promise me you'll be careful…" Aerith whispered, her sorrow slowly fading away as she felt the comforting warmth of his skin against hers, a strange, pleasant sensation flowing through her entire being, an undeniable proof of her feelings, which grew stronger with each passing moment spent by his side, each admiring glance she shot in his direction, her heart melting as her eyes took on the gracefulness of his whole being…

Smiling contentedly, she then moved a little, allowing herself to get closer to him, looking as if she didn't expect an answer at all, and so he stayed silent, mentally cursing at himself as he was annoyed by a sentiment of anticipation teasing at his senses. Also, he had to force himself to stay perfectly still and refrain from doing anything that would scare her away.

Oblivious to his attempts at keeping control over himself, she placed the palm of her hand on top of his muscled chest, concentrating as a bright light emanated from her porcelain skin, healing his bruises and replenishing his strength as a wave of comfortable warmth flew through his entire body. Then, when she removed her hand from him, the cut was almost completely healed, the efficacy of her Cetra powers never failing to impress him.

"You should be ok now. It won't even leave a scar" she stated brightly, visibly happy to have been able to help.

At her words, Sephiroth only nodded, and silence fell upon them for a short moment as Aerith distanced herself from him, though only slightly, just enough to be able to look him in the eye.

"…You know…I could hate you. If you didn't come to this world, my sister wouldn't be on the verge of death" she suddenly stated.

Unsure as how he should respond to her words, the silver haired man stayed silent, waiting for her to speak again.

"To tell you the truth, I even did, for a moment. But…I know that it's not your fault, at least, not directly. And…I wouldn't be able to hate you now, even if I wanted to" she continued, a confidant smile brightening her angelic features.

Finally beginning to understand what exactly was going on in her mind, Sephiroth simply nodded, wondering if he wanted her to tell him everything she had to say, or if he didn't want to hear it.

"I know you're not used to that kind of demands, but…will you help her? Will you do everything in your power to help my sister?" the half-Cetra asked, hope shining inside her endearing emeralds.

"I don't see how I could be of any help, but if I can do something, I'll do it" he answered after a slight hesitation, gaining a bright, happy smile from the small brunette.

Then, without a single warning, she threw her arms around his torso, holding him as close to her as she could, pressing her warm cheek against his chest as she glowed with pure joy. Bewildered, Sephiroth quickly composed himself and slid his arms around her small frame, wondering how those simple words could affect her so much.

'She's a really strange being, to become so easily emotional…' he told himself, knowing in the back of his mind that _he_ was the one who wasn't exactly normal, never showing any kind of spontaneous reactions.

"Thank you, Sephiroth" she whispered, her voice filled with contentment.

"Well, I can't promise you that I'll be able to do something. In fact… I don't see how" he declared flatly, not wanting to destroy her mood but unable to do as if he had a solution to her sister's problem.

But, to his surprise, her smile only grew wider as she tightened her arms around him even more.

"I don't have a single doubt that you'll be able to help" she stated playfully, but honestly.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Well, you're the great Sephiroth" she said, giggling.

"That was in the past" the swordsman replied darkly.

"Maybe, but I feel like…as long as you'll be by my side, there's nothing we can't accomplish" Aerith declared, blushing a little.

"Hmm"

Unable to help but to smile at her gentle statement, Sephiroth held her a little closer to him, placing his chin on top of her head. Unmoving, they stayed that way for a moment, feeling completely at peace as the only sound coming to their ears was the whistle of the wind playing with their messy hair and the water flowing freely along the small river.

Then, Aerith shifted slightly, pushing him a little backwards as she raised her eyes to meet his, their faces almost touching. Lost in each other's eyes, their glances staying locked together as they admired the emotions shining in the reflection of their souls, they completly lost track of time, feeling as if they were all alone in the whole universe...

But, at that precise moment, someone has to clear their throat…

Annoyed, they both turned in the direction of the sound, seeing a very embarrassed Kitakaze standing a small distance away from them.

"Hm…You've been here for almost an hour now, so…we were getting worried" the girl declared.

"…Oh. …Sorry" Aerith apologized, quickly getting off of Sephiroth before grabbing her back pack and reaching the side of her sister as the silver haired man put his coat back on.

Then, they reunited with the rest of the group, ready to leave for a long journey back to Radiant Garden. And, for the rest of the day, Kitakaze observed Aerith and Sephiroth, wondering if, after all, she hadn't mistook her sister's feelings…

0o0o0o0o0o

That night, they stopped at a hotel in a small village and everyone was fast asleep…except Sephiroth. Unable to stop thinking about Aerith's words and the weight of his next task, which was to save the life of a young Cetra, he simply couldn't find any sleep. So, he left the room and found a secluded place outside the village to practice his katas. But, an hour later, he heard someone coming from behind him and quickly turned around, only to see Kitakaze standing some feet away. Knowing that the girl obviously wasn't going to pick up a fight with him, Sephiroth sheathed his sword, turning to face her completely.

"What do you want? Shouldn't you be sleeping? You're not exactly…healthy" he then asked flatly, a bit annoyed by her intrusion.

"Well…I saw you leave the room, and…I…I wasn't asleep either…my wounds hurt too much" the girl explained.

"Oh"

"I can guess that you want to be left alone. I'll go straight to the point, then" the Cetra said, crossing her arms over her chest as Sephiroth raised a questioning eyebrow.

"…I want to know…what exactly is going on between you and my sister" Kitakaze added, knowing that she had hit a nerve has Sephiroth shot her a not-quite-indifferent look.

"…What do you mean?" the silver haired man asked after a slight hesitation.

"I'm not dumb. You were very close to each other this afternoon, at the lake. Besides, I saw the way she looks at you. And…I didn't miss the looks _you_ sent her, either. Not to mention that, somehow, you feel different. …Yes, I know you're not the same man I found in the forest back then. Something inside you changed…and it's not only due to the loss of your Jenova cells" Kitakaze stated, absolutely certain of her deduction.

"…Hmph"

Not wanting to answer as he wasn't sure himself about the nature of his own relationship with the flower girl, Sephiroth stayed quiet as his glowing reptilian eyes pierced through her frail body.

"…Maybe you don't realise it yourself, but…I feel like that change has something to do with her. You don't have to tell me what it is, but…I wanted to let you know" the Cetra added, unimpressed by his unwavering gaze.

"I see"

Then, Kitakaze lowered her eyes to the ground as her foot nervously played with the dirty beneath them.

"Also…I want to thank you, for deciding to try and see what you can do for me. I'm grateful, even if you don't succeed…At least, I'll be happy that someone tried" she said, finally raising her tired, brown eyes to meet his icy jades.

Silence then fell upon them for a few moments as they held each other's eyes, both feeling that somehow, they could understand each other. As perceptive as he always was, Sephiroth could tell that this Cetra girl was very wise, her eyes glowing with the brightness of her strong spirit, the same kind of light that always illuminated Aerith's face.

"You are welcome" he then said after a few moments, his voice softer than normal, making a gentle smile draw itself on her lips.

"Well, I'll let you be now. I wish you good night" she decided, turning on her heels to go back to the inn, but not before cheerfully waving him goodbye.

As he looked at her disappearing silhouette, Sephiroth unsheathed his sword, knowing that he wouldn't close a single eye for the entire night, unable to deny the fact that Aerith was becoming to develop feelings for him … and he really didn't know what to do with that reality. Did he love her too, like the girl seemed to have insinuated? ...Was he even able to love or was he just obsessed by revenge?

As he wondered, he realised that, maybe, helping Kitakaze would become more important for him than he previously thought. After all, she seemed to be quite trustable, and somehow, she reminded him of her step-sister.

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**A/N: Well, how was that? I would like to have your opinions, so don't forget to review! School as given me a slight break, but it will tear me apart even more in the next weeks, so I don't know when the next update will be, but, I'll try not to make it too long. So, until next time! **


	17. Return

**Don't own!**

**A/N: Yay, I finally finished this chapter, lol. Well, there's only one week of school left before I can finally relax for a whole month, so the next updates will, maybe, come faster, but I can't promise anything since it will be Christmas and everyone will be busy having fun, lol. Well, have a good read!**

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Last Chapter…

As he looked at her disappearing silhouette, Sephiroth unsheathed his sword, knowing that he wouldn't close a single eye for the entire night, unable to deny the fact that Aerith was becoming to develop feelings for him … and he really didn't know what to do with that reality. Also, he realised that, maybe, helping Kitakaze would become more important for him than he previously thought. After all, she seemed to be quite trustable, and somehow, she reminded him of her half-sister.

----------------

As the days flew by, the group traveled all the way back to Radiant Garden, sometimes stopping to chat and rest a little as Sephiroth, Kitakaze and Tenzen were slowly but surely starting to get to know each other and, somehow, they seemed to get along rather well. Of course, that was enough to please Aerith and brighten her days, as she was happy to see that her friends were able to reach out to him and get him out of his silent wall.

But, as much as she wanted to participate in their discussions and stay by their side anytime, her mother and Tenzen insisted that she stayed away from anyone bearing the virus, afraid that somehow, she might get infected. Of course, Sephiroth wasn't infected, but she couldn't be near him when he was with her friends. As for the silver haired man, he silently shared their opinion, to Aerith's greatest disappointment.

So, as they walked along the endless, grassy plains, the half-Cetra followed a small distance behind, letting out heavy sighs as she hated to be treated like an helpless child, but, in the back of her mind, she knew that they only wanted to keep her safe. Sometimes, when she felt down, she told herself that even Sephiroth, her former murderer, a man cold enough to scare the bravest man with a single glance, was sincerely worried about her well being. That thought being enough to remind her how much he had changed, it always brought back a smile to her lips as she reflected about it. Maybe, his concern about her was a sign that he, too, felt something more for her than simple friendship…

But, looking at his perfectly shaped face, admiring the gorgeousness of his pale, icy jade orbs and letting her eyes slid along the full length of his glowing, lustrous silver hair that shone like satin under the burning sun, she felt like a pale shadow standing next to an unearthly, dark angel. Sometimes, the impossibility of his gracefulness made her feel almost insignificant, and she thought that wishing to be with him as a lover was more than she would ever get, something that would only be granted to her while she was lost in her sweetest dreams, a world of slumber were even the craziest wishes could come true.

As time flew by, she tried to bury her feelings in the deepest reaches of her heart, hoping that they would eventually fade away and die, freeing her from a growing sadness that choked her soul even more with each passing moment spent away from his warm embrace. Since they reunited with the others, she never had the chance to be alone with him, not even for a single moment, so there had been no opportunity for her to try and admit her feelings to him, leaving her with nothing else than silent wonders and hopeless desperation.

Often, she looked at him, hoping to catch a glance of him as he secretly laid eyes on her, but most of the time, he only turned to look at her when he felt her intense stare burning a hole through him. Not to mention that Ifalna seemed to have noticed something and often shot disapproving glances in her daughter's direction, raising an eyebrow when Aerith blushed slightly, giving away her embarrassment. But, no one could blame her, after all, her beloved daughter, whom she had sacrificed her previous life for, was falling in love with the very same man who had stole her life away from her, not even turning back once to show any regret or sympathy.

When she stopped to think about the absurdity of her feelings for Sephiroth, Aerith realised that she didn't care about their past, not anymore. Somehow, she knew that her murderer wasn't the same man as the one standing next to her now. For some reason, his soul had changed, and that was all she needed to know. Besides, holding grudges about events long past never did anything good and only served to destroy her, little by little. One day, someone has to accept the past and deal with it. At least, that's what she told herself.

As this was now clear in her mind, Aerith couldn't help but to wonder how she would ever get her mother to understand her feelings. But, when she reflected about it, she quickly brushed the thought away, telling herself that her love for him would never have the chance to bloom, anyway… He was too perfect, too cold … as much as she wanted nothing more than to be by his side, she had the feeling that he didn't care about her affections, or maybe, he simply didn't notice… A biased thought, probably, but still … it was enough to make her scarred heart bleed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Back in Radiant Garden…

After a long journey, they finally entered the town, to Aerith's greatest relief, since her feet were hurting and she thought that maybe, she would be able to have some time alone with Sephiroth, a wish that made her whole being tingle with anticipation… and nervousness. But, as soon as they stepped past the entrance of the city, Williem turned to face them, efficiently blocking their path as two guards came to stand next to him, weapon in hand. Wondering what was going on, Aerith raised a questioning eyebrow as a sudden tenseness thickened the air around them.

"Now that we're here, I'll ask you to come with me, Sephiroth. I have a cell ready for you in the manor's dungeon. Since you came to this world by manipulating the spirit of this young woman, you must understand that we can't let you wander around as you please. A planet's would-be murderer isn't the kind of person who's very welcomed around here" the governor said, his unwavering, grey eyes showing that he was absolutely serious.

Unable to believe her ears and totally pissed off, Aerith took a step forward, clenching her hands into fists, looking at the man with eyes that burned with blinding fury.

"Who the hell do you think you are? I won't allow you to do something like that!" she shouted angrily, looking as if she was ready to leap forward and beat the man.

"I'm afraid you have no power regarding this matter" replied the annoying governor.

"I stand with her" Tenzen suddenly added, reaching Aerith's side.

As for Sephiroth, he was getting slightly amused by the situation, knowing that if this stupid governor tried to get his hands on him, the only thing he would get was his head ripped off, and the same thing would happen to his pitiful dogs. Even if he knew that a carnage would not please Aerith, or any of the Cetra, he couldn't help but to wish for the old man's death, as he was good at nothing but to annoy others and throw away dumb orders just to show how important he was.

"They're right, Williem. I won't allow you to treat him that way, either" Kitakaze stated, putting a hand on her daggers to show that if she had to, even in her condition, she wouldn't hesitate to aid her new acquaintance.

Then, knowing that he wouldn't have his way without a fight he would surely loose, Williem looked away, letting out a heavy sigh before dismissing his men with a lazy wave of his hand.

"All right, you win. But…I insist that one you keeps an eye on him, then" the governor asked.

"I'll do it. He can stay with me. My house is almost empty, and it's too big for me alone" Aerith decided, attracting surprised glances from her mother, Tenzen, Williem and Sephiroth, while Kitakaze had to stop herself from smiling mischievously.

"…Are you sure …?" Ifalna asked after a moment, secretly hoping that her daughter was joking.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry, it will be okay" the half-Cetra answered, giving her mother a reassuring smile.

"All right then, it's settled" Williem decided before turning on his heels, ready to return to the mansion.

Once he was out of sight, Tenzen muttered a curse under his breath, thinking that he would not allow him to have his way anymore.

"…I'll do something to remove him from his status. This city needs a new governor" he stated firmly.

"Yes…I had the same idea" Ifalna approved.

Thinking that it was a very interesting proposition, Aerith and Kitakaze nodded their approval as Sephiroth didn't react in the least, but no one had expected him to, anyway.

0o0o0o0o0o0

When Sephiroth and Aerith finally entered the young woman's house, she couldn't help herself but to let out her anger about the way Williem had treated him.

"I can't believe he had planned to lock you up in a damned cell!" she exclaimed, her face red with uncontained frustration.

"…I don't think it was very surprising of him" Sephiroth said flatly.

"Yes, I know, but still! He's such a jerk!"

Getting amused, Sephiroth let out a slight chuckle as Aerith roughly played with a lock of her curly hair.

"What? What are you laughing at?" she spat indignantly.

"I think it's the first time I've ever heard you say something vulgar" the silver haired man explained, a mocking smile spreading on his lips.

"…Oh? …Well… he deserves it! He really _is_ a jerk!" the young woman defended herself.

"You're right"

Then, Aerith giggled slightly, getting a little embarrassed after loosing control of her temper in front of him. As she felt a blush creeping upon her cheeks, the young woman tried to force her mind to work as she desperately searched for a way to change the subject.

"Huh, well…I guess I'll show you around, since you're going to… be living here with me for a while" she said, lost between embarrassment and anticipation as she thought about the interesting situations that could occur in the next few days, considering the fact that they would be under the same roof…

"All right" Sephiroth answered flatly, oblivious to what was going on inside her dreamy mind.

"I have no couch, and the house is almost empty, except for my bed and drawers, so…I don't know where you'll sleep…I guess I'll ask my mother to prepare something resembling a bed in the living room"

Since he couldn't care less about what kind of bed he would be sleeping in, Sephiroth only nodded, silently following Aerith as she showed him around. Obviously, spending the night on the floor would be better than to suffer long nights of insomnia, sitting in a small, cold corner of a dirty prison.

0o0o0o0o0

The next day…

As they were quite tired of their journey, Sephiroth and Aerith had gone to sleep as soon as they found a way to make a bed for him, so they obviously didn't have time to talk about anything interesting. And, to Aerith's greatest disappointment, their well deserved rest was disturbed in the early morning by insistent knocks thundering against the front door.

Getting annoyed as she slowly awoke from a peaceful slumber, the half-Cetra forced her limbs to come back to life as she got out of bed, lazily walking to open the door and see who was trying to prevent her from staying hidden in the soft, fresh depths of her smooth bed. Once her feet had successfully dragged her to the door, she let out an annoyed groan before turning the knob. Then, she found herself in front of a slim, blonde nurse wearing a white outfit that fitted her perfectly. Noticing that she had never seen her before, Aerith raised a questioning eyebrow, hoping that she had been woken for a good reason.

"Forgive me if I woke you up, but I've been told by my superior to come get you as soon as possible, to begin the tests" the nurse explained.

"I see. Could you be more precise? I have never been told that I should attend to some "tests", whatever they may be" Aerith spat, knowing that she didn't have to be so direct, but her tired mind refused to work properly and allow her to do as if she was in a good mood.

"Well, in fact, you're not really needed. I was talking about… hum … that man… you know" the blonde tried to explain, getting nervous as she spoke about Sephiroth.

Obviously, the silver haired man's reputation was already made in the town, and everyone knew (or thought, anyway) that he was a crazy, human mass murderer who brought a deadly sickness with him as he skilfully entered this holy, Cetra world by manipulating a poor, defenceless girl. Trying not to let her anger get the best of her, Aerith took a deep breath as she carefully chose her next words.

"His name is Sephiroth. I advise you to remember it. But, you still haven't told me why you need him" the half-Cetra spoke as calmly as she could.

"Oh, it's nothing much, really. I just need a small sample of blood, so I can run tests and see if there is, somehow, a way to find a cure by analysing his DNA"

Knowing that the nurse was telling the truth and relieved to see that it was nothing more than that, Aerith allowed a small smile to draw itself on her lips.

"I understand. You can go back now, I'll wake him and we'll be on our way as soon as we're ready"

"Thank you"

On that note, the nurse turned on her heels and went back to the hospital as Aerith closed the door softly, readying herself to wake her silver haired companion and explain the situation to him. Obviously, he wouldn't be too happy with the idea of having to enter any kind of lab once again. But, as she turned around to reach the living room, she almost bumped into a black clothed individual who had silently crept behind her.

"Oh…you're awake" she said softly, a bit surprised as she looked at his face, which showed a deadly serious expression.

"I won't do it" he suddenly spat, crossing his arms over his chest, letting his unwavering eyes pierce through her entire being.

"…But…why?" the young woman asked, wondering if he had changed his mind and decided that he would not help her family.

Unable to find the words to explain his uneasiness, Sephiroth stayed silent, turning his eyes away as he wasn't able to hold her saddened, emerald orbs any longer. Noticing his change of demeanour, Aerith forced a sweet smile to draw itself on her lips as she approached him carefully, putting a gentle hand on his left arm.

"Don't worry. It will be ok… it's not much" she said softly, raising her eyes to meet his.

"I'm not going to let anyone try to puncture my body with disgusting needles, even if it's for a good cause" the silver haired man answered coldly, narrowing his eyes as he remembered Hojo's sickening smile, the sadistic look spreading on his ugly face every time he had the chance to torture him with sharp, scientific objects.

"But…it may be to only way! … Sephiroth…they…I need your help!" the young woman pleaded, unable to believe her ears as his words echoed in her mind, making her heart sink.

"You heard me"

Taken aback by the harshness of his voice, pronounced without any hesitation, Aerith took a step back, swallowing hard as she felt a few tears falling down her face. Surely, he wasn't serious…

"…But…please! You need to think about it! …Without your help, my mother and sister will surely die…" the flower girl begged, trying to control the trembling of her whole body as the words slipped past her tear moistened lips.

"I won't let them touch me, is that clear enough?" he shouted, giving her a deadly look that chilled her blood to the bone.

Feeling a sudden wave of blinding fear paralysing her whole body, Aerith held her breath as she realised how serious he was. Unable to do or say anything, she looked in his angered, cold reptilian pools, suddenly remembering that the man standing in front of her was one who could had killed thousands, not a kind-hearted guy willing to help those who needed him. Unable to bear that thought, she suddenly broke down in tears as she didn't want to believe that he could throw her family's life away just like that, without feeling any kind of guilt or stopping to think twice about it. Maybe, after all, he hadn't changed as much as she previously thought…

Had she been wrong? Was she so blinded by her feelings for him that she never realised he was still the cold man she hated before?

Burying her face in her tiny hands as she felt her knees melt under her weight, Aerith fell kneeling on the ground with a loud thud, feeling warm tears slip between her delicate fingers and slid along the length of her arms, tickling her skin.

"How…h-how can you…s-say that?" she cried, pouring her heart out with loud sobs, her entire being trembling violently under the strength of her sorrow.

By now, she couldn't hear anything else than her own cries mixed with Sephiroth's last words playing back in her mind like a broken record. Not only had she lost the tiny bit of hope she had concerning her sister's future, but his harsh words and angered eyes had broken her tender heart.

As she was hopelessly crying on the hard, cold floor, Sephiroth observed her silently, feeling something break inside of him as he took on the sight of her, spilling precious tears because of his own selfishness, because he wasn't able to face the darkest part of his past… Then, he felt something grow inside of him, a feeling that he never knew before meeting her, an unpleasant sensation that was nothing else than guilt, a sentiment he was now beginning to get accustomed to. So, before he even had the time to think about it, he spoke as if his lips had a will of their own…

"…I'm sorry" he whispered, hoping to make her tears stop.

But, his apology went unheard by the crying girl, her face partially hidden beneath locks of chestnut, curled hair that stuck to her tear stained face. Unable to stand the sound of her desperate sobs any longer, he bent down on one knee, standing in front of her sorrowful form.

"Y-you promised me. …You…you s-said…that you would help my sister…" she struggled to say between strangled sobs, too lost in her own sorrow to realise that he was now a few centimetres away from her, looking at her with sad eyes filled with sincere guilt.

But, as she tasted the humid saltiness of her own tears, the young woman suddenly felt a pair of strong, comforting arms slid around her shoulders as the silver haired man embraced her, holding her as close to him as he could, placing his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her.

"I'm sorry" he repeated, whispering softly as she felt his breath warming her porcelain skin.

Surprised by his words and actions, Aerith blinked her eyes open as she removed her hands from her now puffy face, her tears slowly coming to an end as she melted in his arms, immediately comforted by his blissful warmth. Then, she felt her own arms slid around his shoulders as she returned his embrace, willing to enjoy his closeness as much as she could, for she had longed for it since that day spent near the small river.

"I have no right to make you pay for the things that happened in my past. I shall take my words back" he whispered in her ear, gently letting his hands slid along her soft curls.

"Are you…are you going to help, then?" she asked after a few moments, feeling a flicker of renewed hope flowing through her soul.

"…Yes…" he sighed, not feeling up for it but knowing that there was no way to save Kitakaze without letting a bunch of crazy doctors do nasty things to him.

On that note, Aerith tightened her arms around him as a bright smile found its way back to her rosy lips, regretting the fact that, for a moment, she had doubted him, thinking that he was still the horrible man that ended her previous life. His apology having healed her broken heart in single moment, she knew now that she truly believed in him.

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**A/N: So, how did you like it? I decided to condense the events that happened while they were travelling back to Radiant Garden, so the story could progress a bit more. I hope you liked the chapter, and have a nice Christmas! Oh, and don't forget to review! Hehe. **


	18. Surrender

**A/N : Well, the last chapter got more reviews than any before, and it made me rather happy and inspired, so, I already finished this chapter. Not to mention that… school is over!! Yay. Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it!! By the way, you may want to be careful if you're under thirteen years old, because I wouldn't want this chapter to traumatise anyone ! Lol, I'm joking, but still, be warned, it's rated T for something. **

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Last chapter :

Aerith tightened her arms around him as a bright smile found its way back to her rosy lips, regretting the fact that, for a moment, she had doubted him, thinking that he was still the horrible man that ended her previous life. His apology having healed her broken heart in a single moment, she knew now that she truly believed in him.

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A while later…

Once Aerith had dried her tears and took a long, boiling shower to rejuvenate after pouring so much emotion out of her tired eyes, she dried her hair and made breakfast as much as she could, given the fact that she wasn't allowed to go eat at her mother's place anymore, and her house wasn't very equipped. This restriction made her rather sad, but she tried to convince herself that soon enough, everything would be back to normal and she would have her meals with her family once again. But, for now, spending some time alone with her silver haired companion was more than enough to cheer her up.

So, when everything was set, they left for the doctor's office, both trying to hide their nervousness as they proceeded through the city, enduring the endless, disapproving glances shot in their direction by the townspeople. Of course, no one was happy with Sephiroth's presence in the city, and Aerith thought that people who didn't know them personally couldn't really understand why she was walking by his side, unperturbed by his cold presence. They didn't know him like she did, and she certainly wasn't going to let their ignorance darken her mood.

'Let them think what they want…' she told herself bitterly, frowning as she began to walk a little bit faster, eager to reach her destination and hide from their piercing glances.

As for Sephiroth, he didn't really care about them, since he was too busy worrying about what would happen to him once he entered that damned hospital and faced a bunch of crazy people wearing white suits, a type he had seen way too often in his existence. As Aerith hurried, he repressed a annoyed sigh, wishing she would slow down instead. For him, having to endure scientific treatment was far, far more disturbing than a weird look sent by a complete stranger. But, it didn't take long before they finally reached their destination, and he had to force himself to keep his breath steady as the blonde nurse spotted them and cheerfully reached their side, adjusting her disgusting, white suit.

"You're finally here! Please, this way!" She said, motioning for them to follow her.

Still unsure if it was a good idea to have accepted to help out, Sephiroth stood frozen in place, looking at the nurse's back without really seeing it. Noticing his hesitation and knowing that he was probably anxious to the core, Aerith subtly took his hand in hers to give it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, offering him a sweet smile as she did so. Then, the physical contact had it's effect and Sephiroth felt some of his tension start to slip away from him, as if chased away by the flower girl's soft touch. As he was slowly being able to breathe a little more normally, he then plunged his glowing jade eyes in hers, feeling a comforting warmth spread through his entire being as he took on the sight of her inner light, shining under sweet emerald irises.

"Hey! Are you coming?" the nurse suddenly shouted from some distance away, destroying the moment and bringing them back to reality as Aerith swiftly turned her eyes away to look at her.

"Oh, sorry. We're coming now" she said sweetly, yet her voice was tainted with guilt for letting the nurse lead the way without following.

As she said those words, the half-Cetra quickly let go Sephiroth's hand and swiftly reached the blonde's side, followed by a very reluctant silver haired man, who now thought that, maybe, the boredom of wandering inside the annoying flows of the Lifestream was even more enjoyable than what he was enduring now.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The next hour was hell. After entering the doctor's office, Sephiroth had shot him a murderous, blood chilling look as the man in white took a syringe and took a step towards him. After an hour of complaints, he was now sitting on the medical chair, leaning his arm against the armchair, clenching his jaw as the doctor had now given up to let the nurse to do the job. Maybe, he thought, Sephiroth would be more comfortable if an innocent young woman was the one to take a sample of his precious, unnatural blood. As for Aerith, she knew that Sephiroth would feel much better if a woman did it instead of a man, for the simple reason that it was less easy to put Hojo's face on a feminine frame.

"You can relax, Seph… It won't take long" Aerith told him in a soft voice, attracting the curiosity of the nurse and her superior as they wondered how she could speak to her former murderer like he was a very good friend.

But, they didn't let their perturbation show as the blonde readied herself to pierce Sephiroth's abnormally pale skin with her instrument of torture. Telling himself that they had wasted enough time already, and that he wasn't a stupid, weak man, Sephiroth clenched his jaw harder than before and took a deep breath as he forced himself to stay still. Then, it didn't take look before he felt the needle penetrate his skin and slid inside his vein, taking a sharp intake of breath as he tried to force the bad memories away from his disturbed mind. So, he decided to concentrate on the feel of Aerith's soft hand on his shoulder instead of the sensation of the silver needle drinking his crimson life. That way, it only seemed like a single second had flown by before the nurse finally removed the disturbing object from his vein, smiling sweetly as she was happy to have been able to do her job and take care of other matters, which were more pleasant than taking blood samples from a crazy human.

"See? It only took a moment" she said cheerfully while putting a small bandage on the bruise to stop the bleeding.

Getting annoyed, Sephiroth only grunted in response, a frustrated look plastered on his face.

"Say…aren't you going to make tests on my sister too?" Aerith suddenly asked, her voice betraying her nervousness.

"Yes, of course" the doctor answered.

"I see…Is she here?"

"…Yes"

"Can I see her? …I mean…I know it's dangerous but I only want to wish her good luck" Aerith asked a bit shyly, afraid of the answer she would get.

"…I am sorry, miss Gainsborough, but…your sister, Ifalna and Tenzen are all here, in the quarantine rooms. No one can visit them, not even you. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until everything is back to normal" the doctor answered, shaking his head slightly before letting out a sigh.

Not knowing what to say to try and convince him to let her see her family, Aerith lowered her eyes to the ground, forcing herself to keep cold, swearing that she wouldn't cry. Not this time. She had cried enough already and her own tears were beginning to annoy her. She had to be strong for her loved ones, who needed her more than anyone. Then, feeling a new wave of resolve, she raised her eyes to meet the doctor's, taking a deep breath to wash away the last of her sorrowful emotions.

"I guess I'll have to trust you, then. Your work will determine…if I'll be able to see them again or not. …Please, don't deceive me" she said, surprising everyone.

"…I will do my best" the doctor answered uneasily, giving away his uncertainty.

But, even if Aerith noticed his obvious hesitation, she said nothing and brushed it away, not wanting to let her sorrow get the better of her once again. After all, those raw emotions were starting to give her a headache. The only thing she needed now was to get away from the hospital, far from it's lifeless, grey white walls and smell the fresh air of the town. But, most of all, she wanted to be alone with Sephiroth and hold him tight, only to loose herself in someone's comforting warmth.

0o0o0o0o0o0

After taking a small walk outside, they quickly got back to Aerith's house, as they were unable to stand the never-ending stare of the annoying villagers. Since there wasn't anything comfortable on which they could sit, the two were lazily sitting on the flower girl's bed. Knowing that she needed someone to comfort her, Sephiroth didn't protest in the least when she snuggled against him, putting her head on his shoulder and sliding her arm around his torso, enveloping herself in his warmth. Not that he wanted to protest, anyway…

"You know…when I first came here, I thought things would finally be perfect for me. I hoped to…finally have a real family, and friends that would never leave my side…" the flower girl confided in a sorrowful tone.

"…"

Like it happened almost every time she tried to talk to him about personal, emotional matter, Sephiroth stayed quiet, not knowing what he should say.

"But don't get me wrong, I know you'll save them. …At least…that's what I want to believe…but… It's hard for me to not be able to even see my sister…"

"It's for the best that you stay away from anyone that could infect you" the silver haired man simply stated, knowing that it wasn't much of a consolation.

"Yes, I know that! But… gods, I can't even know how she is! Maybe she is dying, and I don't have a single clue about it…" Aerith desperately added.

"…"

"…I won't be able to stand it, Sephiroth" she said firmly, raising her eyes to meet his.

Wondering what she exactly meant by that, the silver haired man raised a questioning eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"I…I won't accept the loss of anyone else important to me"

Still not knowing what to do to ease her mind, Sephiroth simply slid his arms around her small frame, holding her a little closer to him as he knew that, since some time now, it always seemed to make her happier…And this time was no different, a bright smile drawing itself on her lips as she felt him imprison her within his strong embrace. Then, her mood was lifted slightly as a brighter thought crossed her mind.

"I guess you've decided to stay here, then? I'm really grateful"

"…I know"

"Because, you know… I… you're one of the persons that I would not want to loose for anything in the world. …You're… very important for me" she admitted, trying not to blush as a slight smile brightened Sephiroth's cold figure.

"You don't have to worry, then. I won't leave you" he said softly, making her heart melt under each of his words.

Feeling as if she couldn't be more at peace than she already was, Aerith smiled softly, putting a gentle hand on Sephiroth's cheek, letting her fingers slid along his fine face, her own skin barely brushing his in a feathery touch. Then, she let her eyes fall to his slightly curled lips as her fingers reached them, softly trailing along their sweet softness. Without a single doubt, the flower girl knew that he was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and would probably ever have the chance to lay her eyes upon. As she looked at his masculine, endearing face, she knew exactly what she wanted, and thought that, maybe, it would be her only chance to make her wishes come true… Finally deciding to move on, her heart beating a thousand times faster than normal, she let her hand find his strong neck as she curled her arm around him, attracting his unnaturally perfect face towards her, unable to breathe as she realised he wasn't going to stop her…

So, a second later, she felt her own lips press against his as her whole body melted with blissful contentment while he willingly responded to her kiss, his fine hair mingling with her own curled bangs and tickling her fine skin. And, it was absolutely wonderful, just like she had thought it would be. Of course, she had been kissed many times before, but this one was even better than anything she could have imagined, a wave of joy, nervousness and incredibility flowing through her entire body and soul, chasing away any rational thoughts that could have tried to cross her mind. Not wanting to break away, they stayed locked in each other's arms until they ran out of breath, Aerith being the first to reluctantly pull her lips away from his. Then, she looked him straight in the eye, smiling like a young girl glowing with silly love.

"…Sephiroth…" she whispered, still feeling their kiss burning on her lips.

"Hm?"

"…Are you happy, while you stand by my side?" she asked softly, taking a lustrous lock of silver hair between her delicate fingers.

Taken aback by her unusual question, the silver haired man took a moment to reflect about it, knowing that he _had_ to find a good answer.

"Well… I can't say that I have something to compare to. I don't know what happiness is… So, it's hard to tell. …Why do you ask?" he answered, his voice tainted with hesitation.

"I wondered, because… you're smiling, Seph. When I first met you, you never smiled"

After hearing her words, he couldn't help but to smile even more, wondering why she had so much power over him, why he wasn't able to control himself when holding her close to him … Then, he found a nice, sincere answer to her previous question, bending down to whisper against her lips…

"I guess I am, then…"

Feeling happier than she ever did in her entire existence, Aerith barely had the time to smile before he captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss, giving her what she had longed for since the last weeks… and she truly couldn't believe her luck as he slowly undid the ribbon holding her braid in place, freeing her long, chestnut curls from their everlasting prison, wishing to slid his hands along their silky softness, still kissing her as he did so. But, it wasn't long before she ran out of breath, but Sephiroth didn't stop kissing her, going for her neck instead as she felt a jolt of electrical sensations flow through her body, her mind having already forgotten anything rational. Throwing her head backwards to give him more space, she closed her eyes softly, enjoying the whirlwind of sweet sensations blurring her senses. The only thing she was aware of was her overwhelming love for him, and the feel of his strong frame against her frail one. For now, nothing else mattered.

0o0o0o0o0o

A while later, Aerith laid on her back, feeling as if her body, covered in nothing more than sweat, weighed a whole ton. Slowly, the fog blurring the rational part of her brain was beginning to clear, and she felt a little uneasy, wondering if it was all a good idea. Maybe, she should have stopped him. Maybe, this was all too fast. Even if his actions seemed to indicate that he felt something for her, she couldn't know for sure…and never before had she let a physical impulse drive her like that. Of course, she felt thoroughly content and rather happy, but a part of her whished that she had taken more time to think about it.

As she was reflecting about her previous actions, Sephiroth was sitting on the edge of the bed, his slightly wet hair sticking to his glistening back, a sight that didn't fail to bring a tired smile back to her rosy lips. He was as perfect as ever, and Aerith couldn't help but to remind herself that she was a very lucky girl.

After all, what was she worried about? She loved him, he was absolutely handsome and had a body that would make any woman crazy. Not to mention that she was a grown woman and could make her own decisions like any adult would.

Turning on her right side and putting her head in the palm of her hand as she tried to ignore the curls sticking to her own skin, Aerith pushed her worries away, her smile never fading as the object of her admiration got to his feet and went to the washroom to take a shower, something she obviously needed herself. But, for now, she only wanted to stay immobile, waiting for him to come back and hold her in his arms until they fell in a peaceful slumber, ready to visit each other's dreams.

Meanwhile…

As he took a shower, letting the warm liquid wash his sticky skin, Sephiroth tried to clear his mind, thinking that, maybe, he should have controlled himself, oblivious to the fact that Aerith was thinking the same thing a few moments ago. For now, he only wanted to shut his mind out and sleep for a while, because he knew nothing else than a few hours of peaceful slumber would allow him to think normally. He also realised without a doubt that Aerith had let him have his way with her only because she was crazy about him, and her sincere love was now very clear and undeniable.

But, wasn't gaining her trust and feelings a huge part of the goal he wished to accomplish? …What about his own feelings? Did he have any? …Did he even have a goal now?

His mind full of unanswered questions, Sephiroth took a deep breath, wondering how his life, which was absurdly easy before, could have become so complicated. Maybe, that was part of being human. Knowing that Aerith would probably want to spend some sweet time with him before going to sleep, the silver haired man decided to turn off for the night as soon as he finished washing. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to do anything else, and wouldn't be able to face the question he _knew_ she would ask him ….

So, as he came out of the bathroom and reached her side once again, he simply laid on the mattress, ready to close his Mako eyes and never open them before the morning sunrise. Noticing that he was acting rather coldly, Aerith frowned, observing him quietly for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh as it took only a few seconds for him to be sound asleep.

"Seph…do you love me?" she asked softly, knowing she wouldn't get an answer.

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**A/N: I know, this chapter is short, but I had to end it here. I already know what will happen next, so it's possible that the next update will be up in a week. So, I hope you enjoyed it! Also, I wanted to thank the anonymous reviewers, since I cannot send you a reply. **


	19. Adoria

**A/N : It took me so long to finish this chapter, I have been busy playing FF12 (and, to my surprise…it's rather addicting). Well, I've finally reached the hundred reviews, Yay! By the way, I wish you all a happy new year! **

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Last Chapter…

as he came out of the bathroom and reached her side once again, he simply laid on the mattress, ready to close his Mako eyes and never open them before the morning sunrise. Noticing that he was acting rather coldly, Aerith frowned, observing him quietly for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh as it took only a few seconds for him to be sound asleep.

"Seph…do you love me?" she asked softly, knowing she wouldn't get an answer.

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The next morning…

Laying on the soft mattress, sleeping on her stomach as her body was covered by a single, thin cover, Aerith sighed dreamily as her eyes moved under closed eyelids, slowly awakening from her sweet slumber. Wearing nothing else than her own bare skin, the young woman shivered uncomfortably, opening her tired emeralds as she felt the fresh air chilling her naked body. Blinking the last of her sleepiness away, Aerith looked at the masculine silhouette laying next to her, his muscled back facing her as his lustrous silver hair spread on the mattress like a silky, shining veil. But, no matter how perfect he still looked, the flower girl didn't allow a smile to brighten her smooth visage as she remembered his revolting behaviour, falling asleep in front of her without telling her a single goodnight, or even bothering to hold her in his arms to envelop her in his inviting warmth. Now, she had woken with a feeling of bitter loneliness, a sensation that left her heart frozen in cold ice as she realised that waking up alone was even better than opening her eyes to feel rejected. Even now, he was turning his back on her. Of course, he was sleeping, so maybe, he didn't do it intentionally. But still, Aerith couldn't help but to feel cold and abandoned.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she threw the sheet off of her before getting off the bed, rubbing her arms in a vain attempt to recover a little warmth. Sighing heavily, she reached for her drawers and choose some warm, comfortable clothes, putting them on rapidly. Right now, she needed to get out of the house and breathe some fresh air, far from Sephiroth's sleeping form, far from the memories of the past night. But, before leaving the bedroom, she stood in the doorway and turned around to look at his peaceful yet cold visage, observing his indifferent features, feeling a wave of bitter melancholy flow through her whole being as she thought that, maybe, he would always be an unattainable man, a dark angel who would never be able to free the hidden fire locked deep within the frozen abyss that engulfed his heart.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

An hour later, Aerith was sitting near the waterfall, leaning against a tall, blue rock as her eyes stayed locked on the cerulean swirls of raging water, inhaling the nice scent emanating from the salty depths. Hugging her knees to her chest, she let out a small sigh, unable to stop the events of the previous night from continuously playing back in front of her mind's eyes.

'…Maybe…he used me' she wondered, feeling as if she could almost taste her own bitterness.

The more she thought about Sephiroth, remembering his cold Mako eyes burning through her entire being as he looked at her willing, porcelain body, only to turn cold and unfeeling once he had taken what she naively offered him, the more she felt her loneliness turning into bittersweet anger.

'What did it mean to him? …Would he be able to take advantage of me like that, without even loving me? … Or, maybe I'm overreacting'

'…Yes, that's it. I'm thinking too much…' she realised after a moment of silent wonder, sighing again as she wished she could sit with a good friend and talk about her worries, someone who could give her an opinion on the matter and try to cheer her up.

But now, she was more alone than she had been in quite a while, reflecting to herself pointlessly even if she knew that her own mind would never be able to help her find an objective answer.

'…If only they hadn't locked Kitakaze in the quarantine rooms…I really wish I could talk with her right now…I wonder how she is' the flower girl silently regretted.

Then, a new thought crossed her mind as she decided that no matter how sick and contagious her sister was at the moment, no one had the right to keep them apart. In a single moment, Aerith realised that if her sister should die, alone in a white, silent room infested with the nasty chemical smells tainting the air of any hospital, far from her friends and family like she was some kind of unwanted disease, she would never forgive herself for it.

'I'll go visit her. I don't care if they try to stop me. I'll never leave my sister alone to die in a cold room.' The flower girl decided, getting to her feet in one swift motion, her green eyes sparkling with renewed determination.

Without stopping two think twice about it, she went for the hospital and searched for the quarantine rooms, finding it without much of a problem. So, after a few minutes, she stood in front of the door leading to her destination, a hand placed on her hip defiantly as she faced the very same nurse who had taken Sephiroth's blood the day before. She was now guarding, obviously not willing to let anyone enter the restricted area where Kitakaze was held.

"Hello, miss Gainsborough. What can I do for you?" she asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow as she had quite the idea of the reason why Aerith was there.

"I want to see my sister" the half-Cetra said firmly, clearly showing her determination.

"Excuse me, but I believe the doctor in charge has already told you it was impossible for anyone, even yourself, to see her before we found a way to cure her illness"

"My memory is good enough, thank you" Aerith spat, getting angry.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you enter!" the nurse exclaimed.

Annoyed, Aerith let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. She knew the blonde was only doing her job, but something about her did not allow the flower girl to like her, even if she couldn't tell exactly what it was.

"I guess I'll have to move you out of the way, then" Aerith threatened.

But, the nurse had no time to react as the half-Cetra swiftly pushed her aside in a rough movement, sending her to the floor with a loud thud.

"Hey!!" the blonde screamed indignantly.

"I'm sorry. But you can't say I didn't warn you" Aerith said before pushing the door open.

"Hmph. She must have spent too much time with that disturbing madman…" the nurse said under her breath, but not quietly enough, receiving an aggressive glance from Aerith before she finally disappeared behind the forbidden door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

A moment later, Aerith found the way to her sister's room, knocking carefully before entering, since no one answered. To her surprise, there was only one bed, in which Kitakaze was currently sleeping, indicating that Tenzen and her mother had been assigned to other rooms.

'Maybe it's because she's much more ill than them…' Aerith thought, swallowing nervously as she eyed her sister, laying heavily on the cold mattress, her dulled, dark eyelashes tickling sickly pale skin.

Blinking away the sadness threatening to blurry her vision, the half-Cetra spotted a small chair waiting in a corner of the room and placed it next to the wounded girl's bed, taking place on it. That done, she took a deep breath before gently taking her sister's hand in her own, a chill of worry flowing down her spine as she touched the deadly coldness of Kitakaze's hand.

'She's looks like…her sickness is way more advanced than it was the last time I saw her…and it's only been a couple of days' Aerith thought in the back of her mind, her frustration about Sephiroth's behaviour having completely vanished.

Wondering if her sister was going to wake up anytime soon, Aerith looked at her milky white skin, realising that even Sephiroth's wasn't _that_ sickly pale. Then, as she examined the numerous tubes protruding from her sister's arms, Aerith frowned, wondering if the sensation of Kitakaze's fingers tightening around hers was reality or an illusion her mind made up to silence her worries. But, a moment later, her question was answered as the wounded girl twitched in her sleep, letting out a sigh before opening her heavy eyelids, revealing tired brown eyes which met with sparkling emeralds.

"…Huh…?" the sleepy girl moaned, blinking to clear away a lingering dream that still clouded her vision.

"Oh…I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Aerith apologised.

Uncertain to have heard well, Kitakaze frowned and blinked twice, wondering if her scattered mind and broken body played a dirty trick on her, or if she really heard her sister's voice.

"…Kita?" Aerith asked after a moment, worry tainting her voice.

This time, Kitakaze heard it well and clear, immediately coming back to reality as she realised Aerith was _really_ there, holding her hand and sitting next to her would-be deathbed.

"Aerith, what are you doing here? …Don't touch me!" the girl exclaimed, trying to withdraw her hand from her sister's grasp, but to no avail.

"No one's going to keep me away from you, not even yourself" the half-Cetra stated firmly, tightening her fingers around the other girl's hand, ignoring the abnormal harshness of her skin.

"But, please, you have to let go! I… don't want you to die…" Kitakaze pleaded, staying perfectly still as she was too weak to try and pull Aerith away.

"Don't worry about me. They're going to find a cure. I'll make sure of it. So, when they find one…they'll be able to heal me, too, if I get infected. …Please, believe me. You're going to live…" Aerith insisted.

"…You can't be sure of it… Please…" the other girl said weakly, knowing she wouldn't be able to convince her sister to stay far from her, in the comfortable security of her home.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile…

Standing at the reception desk situated near the quarantine rooms, a few nurses, including the one Aerith had just confronted, were arguing frenetically after hearing that the half-Cetra had successfully entered the isolated area.

"The boss told us clearly that it was strictly forbidden to let _anyone_ enter that place, much less the patient's sister!" one of them shouted after the poor blonde.

"What could I do? She knocked me to the ground! …One of us should go and get her out" she argued back.

"Yes, of course, but the doctor is in his lab for the entire day, he won't be coming out, since he is studying the samples he took from the man and Kitakaze. That means, no one can go get her because he is the only one allowed to go there" the other one, a small brunette, replied.

Then, a sigh came from behind the counter as a nurse wearing incredibly long, perfectly black hair joined the conversation.

"He isn't there, so nobody will know if you pass through the door" she said.

"…I guess, but…I don't want to take the chance!" the blonde stammered.

"Oh, really? Why don't you tell us the truth…you're afraid to go. We all are. This disease _is_ terrifying" the brunette declared.

"Yes…and if we tell the security guards to go for us, either they'll refuse, or they'll accept and tell our boss about it. We'd loose our job for sure"

The three women then fell silent, each searching their minds to find a way to get Aerith out of the quarantine rooms without getting infected _or_ being fired. Then, the brunette one had an idea, which she thought was a great one, her face illuminating as she spoke.

"Hey! I know! One of us should go get that man… the one she's living with, and tell him to come and get her. After all, from what I heard, he's immune to that illness"

"What?! Are you crazy? He's going to torture us until there's no blood left in our whole body if he finds out about it!" the blonde shouted.

"Gods, will you two just _shut up_? I'll go get him" the girl with raven hair decided, immediately leaving her post to do just so.

Later…

Awakening from a surprisingly deep slumber as the doorbell rang twice, Sephiroth groaned in annoyance as he opened his glowing eyes, wondering why Aerith wasn't answering. Then, he rose to a sitting position, realising that she had left the room, and was probably outside, smelling the flowers decorating the garden. Getting to his feet, he cursed under his breath as the bell rang again. Obviously, the person who wanted to wake him really wasn't going to give up any time soon. So, he reached for the front door and opened it rather harshly, wishing he could have enjoyed his sleep a bit more, for he couldn't remember having slept so well in a long, long time. But, when he laid eyes on the woman standing in front of him, his mood was immediately lifted, if only slightly. Looking at him with unimpressed, dark blue eyes, the raven haired woman was more than strikingly beautiful. She almost seemed too pleasant to the eyes to be real.

'…She's really something. I guess Aerith is the only woman I know who is as beautiful as her…' he thought, suddenly realising he was still shirtless, wearing only a pair of black pants.

"Sorry to disturb you, but miss Gainsborough has come to the hospital this morning and forcefully entered the quarantine rooms. I believe she went to see her sister. My colleagues thought it would be wiser to come get you than trying to reason with her by ourselves. Maybe, she'll listen to you" the young woman explained, totally ignoring his stare and bare torso.

But, as soon as she said those words, Sephiroth's face became totally drained of all colours. Somehow, he knew that if Aerith got infected, he would be partially to blame. Realising he wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, the woman spoke again.

"Shall I lead you to her?"

"…Yes" Sephiroth answered before grabbing a black shirt laying on a chair nearby and quickly putting it on.

Then, they left for the hospital, staying silent as Sephiroth hoped Aerith was still okay, that she had not touched her sister and kept a fair distance between them. If not, there was a great chance she had been infected too, and if they did not find a cure… she would wither away and die.

'Why the hell did she decide to go there?' his mind raged as he walked by the raven haired woman's side.

Now that her life was probably in danger, even if he still did not know the nature of his feelings for Aerith, one thing was now absolutely certain. Somehow, he cared deeply for her, and knew that if she was to die because of a sickness _he_ brought to the Cetra world, he would never be able to forgive himself for it. He had taken her life once, and now she truly deserved to enjoy the chance to restart anew. Besides, he wasn't sure if there was a place for him in this world without Aerith by his side.

A few moments later, they entered the hospital and reached the isolated area, where the two other nurses were waiting.

"Hmph. I knew she would have no problem bringing him" one of them whispered.

"Yeah, no man would ever want to rip _her_ into tiny little pieces" the other approved, nearly jumping right out of her skin when Sephiroth chuckled, his keen senses having allowed him to hear the whole thing.

Then, ignoring their girly bitching, the silver haired man went to Kitakaze's room and found Aerith sitting next to her sister's bed, holding her bruised hands in her own. As she heard the door open, the half-Cetra turned around to look at him, an expression of surprise drawing itself on her face when she laid eyes on his worry filled ones. But, she hadn't any time to react as Sephiroth reached her side in a split second and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet and away from the wounded girl, who looked utterly exhausted, and Sephiroth knew she hadn't much time left. Feeling a sting of uneasiness piercing his soul at the realisation, the silver haired man turned his gaze away from her and fled the room, dragging a protesting Aerith behind him. Once outside, he took her firmly by the shoulders, wishing his heart would calm down and stop racing furiously under his chest.

"What were you thinking?" he thundered.

"I needed someone to talk to! Can't you understand that? Besides, didn't you see? She's on the verge of death! I won't leave her to die alone!" Aerith exclaimed.

Ignoring her words, Sephiroth took her hands in his, letting out a curse as he saw a purple stain on her porcelain skin. Alarmed, Aerith withdrew her hands from his and frenetically wiped them against her clothes, successfully removing the stain… but each of them knew it would not change a single thing.

"…Why? Why did you touch her, Aerith? …You're going to die…" the silver haired man breathed, feeling his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach as he looked in Aerith's dark emeralds, reflecting his own worries.

"I…when I died…my friends came for me. They…didn't care if it put their life in danger…You know, if they hadn't come, I don't think I would have been able to smile until the end… So…I'm not going to run away when someone dear to me is dying… If she dies, I'll be there, by her side, holding her hand, if only to make her know that, for me, she's not a repulsive, contagious thing!" Aerith countered, fresh tears blurring her vision and tracing glowing trails along her cheeks.

As for Sephiroth, he felt as if each of her words were a blood thirsty knife stabbing mercilessly at his heart, making him feel hopeless, weak, a whirlwind of bitter emotions drowning his senses to a point where he felt totally devastated. Unable to think clearly and totally hating it, Sephiroth took Aerith in his arms and held her tightly, clenching his eyes shut as he tried to calm down, but to no avail. Then, returning his embrace as she felt him shake under her frail arms, Aerith's smile returned to her lips as a wave of blissful warmth flowed through her heart.

"You really do care about me" she then whispered, pulling away slightly to look him in the eye.

"Of course I do!" the silver haired man exclaimed before even taking the time to think about it, wondering if, maybe, the spontaneous answers were the most honest.

At his words, Aerith's eyes sparkled as her smile grew wider, admiring the sincere emotions glowing in Sephiroth's Mako depths. Maybe, after all, she had been angry for nothing. He was cold, but surely, she really did mean something to him. But, she didn't have time to ponder over it as the raven haired nurse carefully approached them.

"…Excuse me, but…I happen to have…heard your conversation. It appears that you got infected" she said, turning her attention to Aerith.

"Well, I…I don't know for sure…" the flower girl sighed, lowering her eyes to the ground.

"You know, if the doctor should hear about this, he would lock you up in a vacant room with the others and never allow you to come out unless we find a cure. So, maybe…I can help you. If you let me take a sample of your blood, I can run tests on it and tell you if you contracted the virus. You can trust me, I won't tell the doctor about this"

"…You can do that?" Aerith hoped.

"Yes. You see, I'm not a nurse. I sometimes take other posts in the hospital but, I'm a scientist"

At her words, no one missed the expression of disgust that momentarily crossed Sephiroth's figure.

'What a waste…" he thought bitterly, even though there was something about her which prevented him from resenting her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A few moments later, Aerith and Sephiroth were walking down the streets of Radiant Garden, having finally calmed down after the half-Cetra accepted Adoria ; the raven haired scientist's proposal.

"She seems nice enough, even if she is a scientist" the young woman remarked.

"…Maybe"

"I don't think every scientist is a bad person. After all, my father was professor Gast, and from what my mother told me, he was a great man"

"Yes, you have a point" Sephiroth admitted.

Then, silence fell upon them as they walked calmly, noticing the glances sent in their direction by the curious villagers. It was clear enough that many people in the town didn't like Sephiroth, but neither Aerith or himself got that impression from Adoria. In fact, she seemed to be quite open-minded, if not a little cold. But, as she felt the villager's eyes upon them, Aerith smiled softly as a thought crossed her mind.

"I love you, Sephiroth" she admitted, taking his hand in hers for everyone to see.

"…I know" he said hesitantly.

"I realise that, maybe, it's hard for you to…understand those feelings. But…I want to show them to the world, even if they resent you. I would be happy to do so" she continued, deciding to push his cold answer aside…for now.

At those words, they stopped in the middle of a crowded street, looking in each other's eyes, and getting the attention of almost every person that passed by. Certainly, curiosity was very common among the Cetras.

"Do you feel that way, Seph? Do you want to be with me, and allow the whole world to see it?" Aerith asked, her sweet smile attracting the eyes of Sephiroth, making him long to feel her lips against his own, just like he did the night past…

Then, he smiled mischievously as he imagined the shocked looks plastered on the townspeople faces if he should just go ahead and kiss her in front of them all. That's when he understood Aerith's words. Even if everyone would be shocked and disapprove of them, she was ready to confront it, and would gladly do so.

"Yes" he finally answered, leaning forward to capture her in his arms and claim her lips in a passionate kiss that made both of their hearts melt as they ignored the witnesses reactions, which were very close to what their imagination had shown them.

--------------------

**A/N: I think this chapter goes in every direction, and I'm not sure if it is truly up to my own expectations, but I still like it. So, like always, tell me what you think. **


	20. Deal

**A/N : I wrote this chapter in one night and a day, because I was very much inspired and I have to say, I love how it came out. But, it is full of OC moments, I hope no one minds too much. But, I like making characters of my own and I try to keep them as interesting as possible. So, tell me what you think.**

------------------------

Last chapter…

… leaning forward to capture her in his arms and claim her lips in a passionate kiss that made both of their hearts melt as they ignored the witnesses reactions, which were very close to what their imagination had shown them.

---------------------

After a rather short night of endearing dreams, Aerith stirred in her sleep, smiling sweetly as she snuggled closer to her source of excessive warmth, slowly awakening from a blissful slumber. In fact, she was now _too_ warm, and felt as if her skin was uncomfortably sticky from sweat, gluing her to her silver haired companion who was as bare as herself. Lost in an intertwinement of heavy limbs, the half-Cetra blinked her eyes open only to find her own visage standing a few millimetres away from Sephiroth's prefect, sleeping figure. Inhaling the scent of him as her smile grew wider, she placed her face against his muscled chest, encircling his strong body with her frail arms, tracing each of his well defined muscles with her delicate, feathery fingers, unwilling to leave his blazing embrace.

'Hmm…after all, I prefer being warm than freezing' she thought, reminding herself of the previous morning.

Sighing a warm, contented breath against Sephiroth's pale skin, she closed her dreamy eyes momentarily, taking her sweet time to feel his presence near her, banishing any thoughts from her mind to enjoy the moment to the fullest. But, soon enough, she reluctantly pulled away from him with a little difficulty as their skin was almost glued together, but Aerith didn't mind at all. Once she had successfully freed her small body from his larger one, the young woman went to the washroom and took a long, fresh shower to rejuvenate her worn out body, smiling all the while as she ran her hands through drenched masses of dark curls, drowning them in soft bubbles of watermelon scented shampoo.

Then, once she was properly clean, she turned the water off and dried her messy hair with a pink towel before dressing herself and finally getting out of the fog filled room, breathing some pleasant, fresh air. She then went to her bedroom, smiling dreamily as she saw Sephiroth, sleeping in the same position as before, but he was now holding the blankets in his arms instead of her small frame. Even if she knew he was only doing this unconsciously, Aerith couldn't help but to find it endearingly sweet. But, as she observed him with eyes clouded by silly love, the doorbell rang, forcing her back to reality.

'I wonder who it is…' she thought to herself, leaving the room to open the front door.

The flower girl then found herself in front of Adoria, who was wearing a long, black skirt with a dark red shirt decorated with black laces. On her face was plastered the same indifferent look as always, but her expression seemed a little off, like something was bothering her. So, Aerith had no choice but to fall from her silky white cloud and come back on earth as she realised the reason why Adoria had taken the time to come pay her a visit.

"Hi, Adoria. You can come in" the flower girl said as cheerfully as she could, stepping aside to allow her guest to enter the house, which she did with a calm nod.

"How are you, Aerith? …I was afraid to come and wake you up" Adoria stated, her tone neutral.

"Oh, I'm fine. Only Sephiroth is still sleeping"

"I see"

"So… if you came here, I guess…you have something important to tell me" Aerith declared hesitantly, leading the dark woman to what would normally be a lounge, but in that case, it was only an empty room containing no more than three small chairs.

That detail didn't fail to embarrass Aerith, who subtly observed Adoria's expression has they both took a seat. But, to the brunette's great relief, the other woman didn't seem to bother at all. In fact, from what Aerith had seen of her, she didn't seem to be the kind of woman who was easily impressed, or shocked. Somehow, that particularity pleased Aerith, since it made her feel like she could be herself completely and would never be judged.

"…Yes, I guess there's no hiding it" Adoria finally answered after a slight hesitation.

"Did you…analyse the blood sample I gave you?" Aerith asked, lowering her eyes to the ground as she felt a knot tie itself in the pit of her stomach, intertwining her fingers together in a nervous manner.

"Yes, I did, and the doctor never heard a thing about the little incident of yesterday. But… I'm not going to make you wait needlessly. I came to tell you…that the tests were positive. You…are infected" Adoria announced, looking at Aerith with dark blue eyes shadowed by unspoken excuses.

"…I…I see…" Aerith choked, trying to stay strong as she felt like she could crumble at any moment and break down in front of a woman she had just met.

"…I know it may not be much of a consolation, but…the virus does not seem to be as strong in you as it is inside the other infected persons. I don't know much about this infection but your body may be able to fight it more easily than…your sister…" the scientist explained, finding it a bit hard not to be moved by Aerith's devastated expression.

At those words, the brunette forced a tiny smile back on her lips as she dared to look in Adoria's dark blue eyes.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see, then" she said weakly.

"…I'm sorry. I preferred to let you know as soon as possible…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. You were right. I would have had to learn it somehow, and…I guess I already knew…"

Silence then fell upon them for a few moments as Aerith looked down at the ground once again, loose bangs of darks curled hair falling in front of her sorrowful face as she tearfully swallowed the news, wishing she could bury her face against Sephiroth's chest and cry her heart out until her eyes were as dry as a desert. At least, she thought, he would be able to take care of her and stay by her side while she would wither away, since he was completely immune to the virus. After all, _he_ was the source of the infection which now ran through her crimson veins. But, even if she died an agonizing death because of it, she knew her heart would never hold a grudge against him. Then, thinking about how she wanted to comfort herself in his loving embrace, Aerith couldn't help but to think about her sister, left alone in a foreign room, locked away from the ones she loved, alone with the pain mutilating her body and fragmenting her mind.

"Adoria…can you do something for me?" Aerith asked after a few moments, raising her sorrowful emeralds to meet Adoria's sapphire pools.

"Yes?"

"Would you try and convince the doctor to let my sister see my mother and Tenzen? After all, they're all infected, and from what she told me yesterday, they can't see each other…"

"I already thought of doing that. I understand that letting them live with their pain, alone in a sterile room isn't very kind of him. That sickness may be dangerous, but sometimes, others are the only hope we have" Adoria answered, letting a shadow of a smile cross her lips as Aerith's expression brightened, if only slightly.

"Thank you. Could you come and tell me how she is, once in a while? If I can't see her, at least I'll be able to know how things are going"

"Of course. I'll see what I can do and come back to give you the good news" the scientist said, getting to her feet as she was ready to leave the house and prepare for a new day of tiring work between white, lifeless walls.

"All right" the brunette smiled, feeling a bit better as she thought that, at least, she would be able to monitor her sister's health, if only by the means of someone else.

Then, they went to the front door, stopping in the doorway to exchange a few more words before Adoria finally left.

"Also, I'll see what I can do for you. I won't let the doctor know, so you'll be able to stay here, by your man's side. I'm sure that's what you want" the scientist declared, giving the other woman a smile filled with playful complicity.

"Yes, of course" Aerith giggled, trying not to blush as she was overjoyed to have heard someone call Sephiroth "her man".

"Goodbye, then"

"Bye!"

On that note, Adoria stepped through the door, and Aerith closed it softly behind her, locking it before leaning against it, taking a moment of silence to clear her thoughts and realise the nightmarish reality that now faced her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

An hour later…

Laying next to her silver haired companion, Aerith watched silently as he slowly awoke from a deep slumber, opening his glowing Mako eyes to place them on her sorrowful being, immediately noticing the shiny wet trails running down her porcelain cheeks, an undeniable proof that she had been crying. Even now, her eyes were sparkling with refrained tears, her eyelashes slightly dampened around rosy, puffy skin. Raising an eyebrow, he raised himself on his elbow, wondering if he was the reason of her sorrow.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his deep, velvet voice reaching right to her heart, making her break down in tears once again, burying her small figure in her trembling hands as she choked on her own sorrow.

"…S...Seph…" she managed to whimper.

Reaching out his hand and taking hers away from her tears stained face, Sephiroth pushed her softly so that she laid on her back, leaning slightly over her as he plunged his icy jade eyes in her drowning emeralds.

"What did I do, this time?" he asked, half-serious, half-joking.

"…You didn't do anything, silly!" she giggled, momentarily forgetting her tears as she heard his words.

"I'm relieved" he sighed, making her laugh even more.

"Well, won't you tell me what's wrong, now?" he asked, letting a few locks of silver hair fall on her cheek, tickling her soft skin and attracting another giggle from his sweet flower.

Grabbing unto the silky silver teasing her skin, Aerith curled her fingers around it, smiling childishly as she enjoyed the softness of Sephiroth's unnaturally fine hair. But, feeling his demanding stare burning through her sore eyes, the young woman soon remembered the reason of her sorrow, her smile slowly fading as she carefully let the strands of hair slid away from her graceful fingers.

"Sephiroth… I…" she began, swallowing nervously as she tried to find the strength to say the words burning her tongue.

"Yes?" he insisted.

"Adoria came here an hour ago. She…she told me the results of the tests…" the half-Cetra struggled to say, tearing her eyes away from his as new tears gathered in their corners.

Knowing the words that would be carried by her saddened voice in the next moment, Sephiroth clenched his jaw, wondering why she had the bright idea to have a direct contact with her sister even if she knew the dangers that came with it. But, as he knew now was not the time to give her a lecture, he kept his mouth shut and swallowed his frustration, forcing his blazing temper to cool down.

"I'm doomed, Seph…I…I'm going to die…" she cried, sliding her arms around his neck to bend him down closer to her, holding him in a fragile embrace.

"I don't want to hear you say that. You sound too much like your sister, and you always told her to never give up hope. It would be wise for you to follow your own advice" the silver haired man stated as softly as he could, but his words still sounded a bit harsh to Aerith's ears.

Pushing it aside as she now knew him very well and understood that, somehow, he always had a hard time when it came to comforting others, Aerith nodded slightly, swallowing her nervousness down as she took a deep, shaky breath.

"Adoria said she would see what she can do for me. I'm sure… she'll help us out" the young woman declared, burying her face against Sephiroth's chest.

"Yes…I'll make sure she does" the silver haired man said under his breath, narrowing his eyes as a thought crossed his twisted mind.

"What?" Aerith wondered, having not quite heard what he just said.

"Well, before she does anything to rid us of that annoying virus, _I_'ll have to take _very _good care of you" the swordsman whispered against her ear, smiling mischievously as a pleasant shiver ran down her spine as his warm breath tickled her fragile skin.

"Yes, you really have to" the flower girl purred, her constant need of him slowly making it's way through her sorrow, filling her heart with a blazing warmth.

"Hmm…I guess now the only thing you need is…tenderness…" he breathed against her neck, before placing warm kisses along her pulse, making her shiver once again, holding him as close to her as she could, closing her eyes as she gave in.

Smiling contentedly as her senses became fully alert, a wave of blinding sweetness drowning her sorrow as she felt his hands sliding around her waist while he kissed her expertly, Aerith thought that, in a weird sort of way, her sadness only added to her happiness, making her glow with blissful abandon.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Much later…

Waking up after allowing himself an hour of agitated sleep, Sephiroth looked at Aerith's peaceful visage, making sure she was lost in a deep, dreamy slumber. He had made sure she would be tired enough to sleep the whole night without opening her eyes for a single moment before the morning sunrise, for he had some things to do and did not want her to know about it. Careful as to not wake her or trouble her sleep, even if only slightly, the silver haired man slowly got off the bed and grabbed his clothes, going to the bathroom to wash up as much as he could without making too much noises and risk waking his dreaming angel. That done, he put his clothes on and exited the room, heading for the front door and sliding his feet in his heavy leather boots before quietly stepping out of the house, closing the door behind him and heading to the hospital, making sure that no one saw him as he found a dark place where he could stay hidden and wait for his prey. Surely, she would come out soon…

0o0o0o0o0o0o

A few hours passed by, and everyone in the village was now fast asleep, hidden in the soft depths of their comfortable beds, oblivious to the impatient, dark shadow that lurked near the hospital, his glowing reptilian eyes never leaving the front door as he waited, waited, and waited…

'Is she sleeping in there, or what?' his mind raged as he dared not even blink, in case he would miss her exit.

But, just as he was beginning to loose his temper, the large double doors opened, revealing a tall, lean woman wearing black and dark red clothes, her straight, fine hair flowing way past her hips as she walked carelessly under the artificially lit street, looking in front of her with confidence as she obviously did not fear the dangers of the obscure night. Letting her walk peacefully for a moment before getting out of his hiding place, the silver haired man silently followed her, making sure she would not be able to suspect anything. Then, a few moments later, she went into a dark alley leading to an isolated section of the city, passing through a few dense trees before reaching a huge, white house situated near a cliff.

'Hmph, a woman living alone in a dark, isolated place. She really _doesn't_ fear the potential dangers lurking around' the swordsman thought, wondering if this was going to change in the next few days, even hours, maybe…

Totally oblivious, Adoria stood in front of her house's entrance, digging in her purse's messy depths in search of her keys, to lost in her task to hear the swift footsteps coming in her direction. Then, a second later, she felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around her as a gloved hand covered her mouth, holding her in an iron grip as her heart leapt under her chest. Not loosing a single second, Sephiroth dragged her to the back of her house and tackled her against the white wall, ignoring her raged breathing and silent whimpers. But, much to his surprise, she did not struggle or try to scream, like he expected her to. Surely, she was not the average woman.

Now facing her, he concluded that she was calm enough and removed his hand from her mouth, receiving a harsh glance as he did so. Obviously, Adoria knew about his reputation, and had heard the story of Aerith's assassination by his very own hand, a tale that was told in many different ways among the townspeople, but never had she expected him to do such a thing as harass her. After all, she had done nothing to inflame his wrath…

"…What do you want?" she then asked, trying to steady her breathing and calm her racing heart as he pressed himself against her, keeping her glued to the cold foundations of her own home.

"I want to make a deal with you. Find an efficient way to cure this damned virus, and I'll leave you alone"

"Hmph. What makes you think _I_ can find a way?" she replied spitefully.

"You're a scientist, are you not? …I was created by dumb, dirty human scientists like you in the past. But, you are a Cetra. If humans were able to create _me_, I guess a Cetra would have no trouble finding the cure to my anomalies, am I right?" Sephiroth explained, his tone cold and menacing.

"…"

"And, you see, this virus happens to be one of my anomalies, I guess" he continued as she did not answer.

"Would you remove yourself from me? I don't feel like talking to a stalker" Adoria spat, looking at him with blazing eyes.

Clenching his jaw as he fought the urge to slap her, hard, Sephiroth suddenly felt a strange pain spreading in his skull. Trying not to show his discomfort, his eyes met with her, which were now glowing strangely, their sapphire shade having been replaced by a strange, shining purple. At that same moment, the suffering became unbearable, forcing him to pull away from her as he groaned in pain. Then, as soon as Adoria was freed from his grasp, a sharp, thin blade found it's way to his throat, slightly touching the sensible skin of his neck.

"Are you willing to talk fair now?" Adoria's cold voice resonated in the midst of his pain blurred mind.

Not wanting to admit defeat, Sephiroth only grunted in frustration, an answer that the woman thought as a yes, finally removing her blade from his throat and releasing her grip on his mind.

"If you want me to find a cure, you just had to come and talk to me about it. Menaces have a tendency to repulse me and I don't like to follow orders. But, I'll give you a chance, since I know that you did it for a good cause. You simply don't know how to convince people without using violence" she added, sheathing her blade under a her skirt in a very strange way.

Now, Sephiroth knew why he had not seen her weapon, and he couldn't help but to be impressed.

"You're very clever" he remarked.

"Come inside, I'm freezing" she simply replied, heading back to the entrance, resuming her search for her keys.

Once she found them, she opened the door and entered the house, which was warm and cozy, followed by a slightly confused Sephiroth, who wondered how she could even bear to let him enter her home after he tried to intimidate her. But, he decided not to ask as she carelessly closed the door and removed her heavy, iron capped black boots. Then, she went to the lounge and let herself fall on the couch in a lazy manner before placing her cold sapphire orbs on him.

"Let me give you a word of advice. You should behave around the Cetras. They may look like a peaceful, defenceless little bunch, but believe me, bring trouble upon us and they'll make quick work out of you. Criminals and meaningless violence aren't liked much around here" she declared, making him feel rather uneasy as he could almost _smell_ her confidence tainting the air around them.

She wasn't scared at all, and never before did Sephiroth meet a person able to talk to him so coldly, with such detachment, even less after he harassed them.

"…You're right. I guess I didn't think twice about it" he admitted, putting his pride aside, for now.

"Of course you didn't. You're a violent man and your beloved one may die. Such a situation often makes people like you loose their temper"

Clenching his jaw as he wondered how she could dare to speak to him like that, the silver haired man sat in a chair in front of her, his face as cold as frozen ice.

"What do you know about me, hm? Nothing" he said spitefully.

"I know a man in love when I see one" Adoria simply stated, crossing her arms over her chest as she was quite amused by his pointless attempts to intimidate her.

Finally realising he would not win against her, he leaned back on the chair, sighing as he regretted to have to admit defeat. But, now that he thought about it, the idea of making Adoria work faster under the pressure of fright wasn't the best idea he ever got.

"So…how's the research proceeding? Did that stupid doctor find anything yet?" the silver haired man asked after a moment of silence.

"The tests should be over tomorrow. Nobody knows much about the virus so it takes a little more time, but we should get over it" the woman answered, relieved to see that he finally decided to talk fair.

"…Are you working on the project?"

"No, at least, I wasn't. But…my scientific ambitions cannot help but to be driven by the desire to get to know more about that dreadful sickness, and I admit it would be quite glorifying to find the cure myself. So…I shall begin a research on it as well. I asked the doctor today, and he gave me his approval. After all, why do you think it took me so long to finish my day? I stayed late to begin my research"

"Hmph. Scientific ambitions…that's something the universe should be rid of" Sephiroth muttered under his breath, feeling Adoria's stare on him become more insistent, as she tried to read the deepest reaches of his mind.

Feeling imaginary digits trying to hack at his brain and peer inside his dark consciousness, the silver haired man blocked his inner thoughts as much as he could, realising how powerful Adoria was. Next time, he would be sure to remember that the Cetras were not as defenceless as they seemed, their powers rivalling with his own. But, now that he sat in front of a cold, dark Cetra witch, he thought that never before had he encountered someone so… _frightening_. But, just as much as her powers were terrifying, Sephiroth felt something bewitching emanating from her unearthly being, a strange aura that kept him from tearing his gaze away from hers, like a powerful magnet drawing him into oblivion. But, most of all, she was _fascinating_.

"Tell me…why do you hate scientists so much? …You refuse to let me see it" she asked, releasing her hold on his mind, but not entirely.

Wondering how he should answer her question and knowing it was pointless to try and flee from her inquisitive, piercing eyes, Sephiroth stayed quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"Would you make a monster out of a defenceless child growing inside you, only to fulfill your 'scientific ambitions'?" he then asked, noticing the surprise spreading on the young woman's face as she unconsciously placed a hand on her stomach.

"…I…I have never carried a child. So…this is a difficult question. But…should I have the chance to feel a tiny live growing inside me, I guess I would do anything in my power to protect it, even if I had to deny science"

"Hm…Well, you see, my mother was a young, ambitious scientist, just like you. From what I heard, she was beautiful, also, another thing you have in common. So, if _you_ can't understand her decision to make experiments on me, how can I?"

"I…I'm sorry" the young woman whispered, turning her eyes away as Sephiroth was now the one holding the reins of the conversation.

"I hate my mother, and my father. They both were scientists. No death would be painful enough to represent my hatred for those who conceived me. I hate those monsters because they made a monster out of me. Does it answer you interrogations?" the silver haired man spat, feeling a wave of triumph spreading through him as he eyed her obvious embarrassment.

"…Do you think I'm a monster too?" Adoria asked in a small voice, her hair falling loosely in front of her saddened eyes, shadowing her unnaturally beautiful features as she spoke, raising her sapphire irises to meet icy jades.

"Yes" the swordsman answered without a single moment of hesitation, his gaze unwavering as he caught a glimpse of suffering passing through Adoria's cold eyes.

Then, in a deadly silence, she raised to her feet and went to the window, looking at the dark heavens slowly being lit by the rising, orange sun, realising that they had talked all night, having lost any notion of time. Sighing as she swallowed Sephiroth's harsh words, the young woman grabbed a small, black vest before putting it on.

"I want to go outside and watch the sunrise. You can accompany me, or you can leave" she said, her voice having recovered it's icy indifference, but Sephiroth knew better of it.

Getting to his feet as well, he followed her outside as he decided to accompany her, not wanting to leave yet. Then, they went to the back of her house and sat by the edge of the cliff, raising their eyes to watch the orange horizon. Staying still, sitting on the fresh, dark green grass, they stayed silent for a few moments, smelling the fresh, morning breeze as the sky shone even more with each passing second. But, after an undetermined amount of time, Adoria laid on her back, crossing her arms behind her head as she turned to look at the silver haired man.

"Let's make a deal. I'll save your love and her family, but in exchange, you'll have to stop hating every scientist that crosses your path" she proposed.

"Hmph. I can't promise that. But…if you really _do_ find a cure, I guess I'll owe you, so I'll try" Sephiroth answered, observing the tiny smile gracing her sweet, rosy lips.

Somehow, he knew that she did not smile often, and wondered if he would ever see those lips curl again and illuminate her already radiant figure.

"Deal, then" she declared, turning her attention back to the sky, her smile never wavering.

---------------------

**A/N: So, did you have as much fun reading as I had writing? I hope so. Feel free to leave a comment!**


	21. Pain

**A/N : This will be my last chapter before school starts. cries ...and from what I've seen in my schedule, it will be back in full force, lurking around me like a dark shadow trying to suck up any time I have for myself!! Lol! But worry not, I'll work as best and as fast as I can. Oh, and just to warn you… : Major angst ahead!!**

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Last Chapter…

Somehow, he knew that she did not smile often, and wondered if he would ever see those lips curl again and illuminate her already radiant figure.

"Deal, then" she declared, turning her attention back to the sky, her smile never wavering.

------------------

An hour later, Adoria left for work, knowing the day would be extremely long and exhausting, since she had not slept for the whole night. But, even if she had to go, Sephiroth stayed by the cliff, alone with his thoughts, knowing this was the better place in the entire town for someone who wanted to stay far from the noisy crowds. Understanding his need very well, Adoria decided to let him be, guessing he would not do anything else than think about his own problems. After all, she often did the very same thing, glad to live in an isolated area of Radiant Garden.

Once she was gone and away from his sight, Sephiroth let out an exasperated sigh, finally letting his mind drift freely over the last few hours he had spent with her, reminding himself of the words she told him, absolutely certain of what she deducted and never letting him the chance to put her in her place. But, in the bottom of his pride drenched mind, he knew that there was nothing he could have said to deny her words when she claimed to know how much he loved Aerith. Now that he thought back on it, he realised he never acted like this before, acting without really planning his move or thinking it through. Somehow, when Aerith had told him she was going to die, he _knew_ he had to do something, anything, to make sure that would never happen. In his blinded frustration, the idea of threatening a young scientist to make her work faster and harder was the best thing he could do. This was all exactly as Adoria said. But maybe that was because of her strange capabilities, allowing her to read other people's mind…

Somehow that reminded him of Jenova, even if _he _was the one controlling her, and he couldn't help but feel the need to keep his distance from her. Nobody had the right to pry inside the deepest reaches of his tainted consciousness, and he wasn't going to let a damned scientist do it. But… maybe that power allowed her to realise a few things about him that he didn't want to admit to himself, even if he knew it was true.

'That's how it feels, then…' the silver haired man thought, looking at the blinding sun as he realised the undeniable feelings growing in his chest each time he was near Aerith, the very same feelings that made him long to go back home and hold her until she awoke and offered him one of her endearing smiles.

Wondering when exactly had he become so…pathetic, Sephiroth cursed at himself, having no choice but to admit he was now very much entangled in the sticky, traitorous cobwebs of human emotions. As the realisation dawned on him, he suddenly felt restless, getting to his feet in one swift, graceful motion before heading to the woods, eager to leave the city and practice his sword technique, away from the townspeople's prying eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A few hours passed by before Sephiroth went back to Aerith's house, entering her bedroom to make sure she was still sleeping, relieved when he saw her, laying lazily on the mattress, her face buried in a pillow of messy chestnut curls. Reaching her bedside, he bent down on one knee, observing her dreamy figure, frowning as he caught a glimpse of purple staining her hands, curled protectively against her chin.

'It's already manifesting…' he thought bitterly, sighing as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile…

Lost in a sweet slumber, dreaming wonderful fantasies that were way too delightful to ever become true, Kitakaze felt her tired mind slowly come back to reality, trying her best to go back to sleep as she felt her blissful illusions slowly flowing away from her greedy grasp, the images leaving her wounded soul fragment by fragment, to be replaced by the cold light of a new day. Frowning sadly as her eyes were still forcefully closed, the young girl felt as if, with each moment that passed by and erased her dreams away, a part of her died with it, withering away like did the last of her hopes. It had been days now, since she had seen him. The man haunting every one of her painful nights, filling her mind with endearing warmth, allowing her to escape, if only for a moment, the harshness of her own reality. Each morning, she awoke against her own will, regretting the sweet illusions fleeing her mind and memory as if they, too, wanted to avoid her.

Then, she opened dull, lifeless eyes glowing with refrained tears, only to find herself looking straight at the same ceiling she had been watching for too long, a white, plain, rectangular piece of wall that always reminded her of her predicament. She was in an hospital, waiting for her own incoming death, far, far away from the comforting arms of the man she loved from the bottom of her bleeding heart. Somehow, just as much as she loved those fleeting dreams, Kitakaze hated them with all her soul, resenting the happiness they gave her while lost in sleep's tender embrace, which only added to the suffering stabbing at her when she awoke. In reality, her love, her dearest wishes would never be fulfilled.

So, like each morning that went before this one, Kitakaze laid on her back, blinking at the wall, bored by it's constant stillness. In fact, nothing in this room breathed life, except herself. But, sometimes, she told herself that, maybe, she was also starting to breathe just as it did. Everything smelled like death. It was no wonder that wounded people often lost hope and died in places like that.

Sighing heavily, the young girl turned her head on the side, eager to look at a different part of the room, for once, even if it was as white and dull as the annoying, silent ceiling. Staying still, she waited for the day to pass by, wishing for the coming night, wishing for sweet illusions, which came to her like a silky, cotton cloud enveloping her in soft darkness and tearing her away from this dreadful place.

Her body was sending her constant jolts of blinding pain, but she didn't care anymore. After all this time, she had learned to get used to it. Physical pain was nothing compared to the sadistic tortures of isolation.

But…this time, it seemed that, somehow, luck was on her side…

Turning her attention at the closed door, she blinked twice to awaken her dulled senses as she heard someone knock softly. The doctor never knocked, Adoria didn't, either…

"…Who is it?" Kitakaze asked, clearing her throat before speaking.

Then, the door was carefully opened, revealing a tall, well built man wearing sparkling cerulean eyes and messy chestnut hair, the very same one who had been torturing her dreams…

"Did I wake you?" he asked cautiously before stepping inside.

"Tenzen!" Kitakaze exclaimed, immediately rising to a sitting position as her face recovered some of it's original colors and brightness, making her eyes sparkle with renewed life.

"Hey, easy" Tenzen chuckled, closing the door behind him and reaching his friend, capturing her frail body in a warm embrace.

After a few moments of joyful reunion, Tenzen pulled away and encouraged Kitakaze to lay back on her mattress, noticing that the simple fact of being in a sitting position was enough to increase the pain hacking at her body. Even if he knew before coming in that he would see her in a bad state, Tenzen didn't expect it to be this bad, but he never let his worry show, knowing it would make her sad.

"I'm so glad to see you" the young girl declared, her voice filled with sincere happiness.

"So am I. That stupid doctor never surrendered to my constant protests"

"You tried to convince him to let us see each other?" Kitakaze asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"Of course…I wanted to make sure you were ok. But he is rather hard to convince"

"Then…how?"

"Well, Adoria decided to take care of the project, so she was able to convince him there was no problem in letting us see each other. The doctor may be stubborn, but nobody can surpass her in that department" Tenzen explained.

"I shall thank her, then. …But…I guess you were happy to be able to talk to her again"

"Adoria...? Well, not really. I didn't mind too much" the swordsman answered casually, missing the delighted expression that crossed Kitakaze's face for a single second.

In the past, Tenzen and Adoria had been good friends, and, for some reason that none of them had ever wanted to talk about, they suddenly stopped to see each other, not even stopping to exchange a single word when they met randomly on the street.

Silence then filled the room for a moment as Kitakaze's thoughts slowly drifted towards her sister, who was now probably laying her eyes on Sephiroth and daydreaming about all kind of things. Letting a small smile draw itself on her lips, Kitakaze raised her mischievous, glowing brown eyes to meet Tenzen's cerulean pools.

"Do you think Aerith and Sephiroth are together yet?" she asked in a playful tone.

"Hm…I don't know. I hope they are… Aerith really seems to care for him" Tenzen answered, realising that he didn't care about the fact that Aerith was seeing someone.

"Of course she does" Kitakaze giggled, once again very pleased to see nothing else than complete detachment in Tenzen's eyes as he spoke on the matter.

Feeling a bit giddy as she thought that, maybe, there was a chance for him to be interested by her if she finally admitted her never ending feelings for him, Kitakaze smiled dreamily, her face having recovered it's radiance, making her look like the pain had vanished from her whole being.

But, her eyes then wandered to her own hands, seeing how harsh and darkly coloured her skin was, not to mention the abnormal length of her sharp nails, which were now growing faster than normal, a detail that didn't fail to worry the doctor. In his eyes, she had been able to see it so clearly… he wondered how she had been able to stay alive for so long.

Her smile slowly fading away as her face became dull and lifeless once again, Kitakaze sighed heavily, hiding her hands under her covers and wishing to never lay eyes on them again. Even if Tenzen had no other girl in sight, even if his heart was completely free for her to try and claim it, it was too late for her. Slowly but surely, her body was becoming an ugly, deformed thing that would soon abandon her and condemn her soul to the unforgiving embrace of death. As she was now, there was no way he could look at her and find it in him to love her, for she was a disgusting being who only waited for her time.

Feeling a warm, lone tear roll down her pale cheek, Kitakaze turned her eyes away, looking at the ceiling once again, telling herself that, maybe, a being like her was better off alone…

But then, she felt Tenzen's warm fingers intertwine themselves with her own as he removed the cover with which she hid them, her body shaking as a wave of unstoppable tears flowed down her sorrowful face, blurring her vision until the white walls seemed to be nothing more than a deformed shadow.

"Do…do you see me now…? Do you see…what's becoming of me? …The doctor…everyone…they're all…They can't bear to look at me…I… I know…you c-can't, either…" the poor girl whimpered, tightening her grip around Tenzen's hand, still not daring to look at him…

"I forbid you to say that. No matter how bruised you may become, you will always be the same to me, and to your mother, and Aerith, too…" Tenzen stated firmly, unable to believe that the cheerful, radiant girl he knew was saying such things.

But, it didn't take a genius to guess that she was now completely under the control of that sadistic disease, unable to stop it's unnatural grasp from tightening itself around her mind, filling her heart with sorrow and doubt, darkening her thoughts with undying shadows and eating away at the remnants of hope lingering inside her broken being. Obviously, she was not herself, not completely, for the girl he knew would never abandon hope…

"Tenzen… when I'll die…my body…it'll become a soulless monster seeking to…to…annihilate…everything in sight…Please…don't let it happen…" Kitakaze cried, clenching her eyes shut as she felt like the stupidest girl ever, breaking down in front of her life's love like a weak, hopeless woman.

"I promise you, as long as I live, I won't allow it to be your destiny"

"…Thank you" she whispered, taking a deep breath to try and steady her own erratic heartbeat, blinking away the last of her tears.

"…You know…I sometimes wonder…do you think that's why Sephiroth lost his mind? …Because he thought his body was…a monstrosity…?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know. But…yeah, maybe…it's reason enough"

"Hm. Will I go nuts too, then? …I guess I understand why he did, so…"

"Kita…you're far from being a monstrosity. Do you need me to prove it to you?"

Not knowing if she should answer at all, Kitakaze stayed silent, turning her eyes to look at him as he slowly got to his feet and went to the other side of her bed. Raising a questioning eyebrow, she watched as he laid down next to her, encircling her in a protective embrace, snuggling her small body against his, since the bed was far from large enough to contain two grown adults.

"See? To me, you're still huggable" he said in a playful tone, attracting a small, shy giggle from the young girl.

"…Stay with me, then. Please…don't leave me…I hate…being alone in here…" she pleaded, placing her arms on top of his, hoping he could not feel her heart thundering nervously under her chest.

"Don't worry" he whispered, a sentiment of peace slowly flowing through his worried soul.

Letting a sincere, joyful smile draw itself on her lips, Kitakaze closed her eyes softly, allowing her senses to feel nothing else than his strong frame against hers. How many times had she dreamt to have him hold her like this? …Too many. But now, maybe it was because he pitied her, or maybe because he cared for her, but somehow, he was now realising one of her dearest wishes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Some time later…

Sitting next to her bedroom's window, Aerith stared at the imposing trees decorating the forest with their radiating foliage, now filled with many shades of bright colours, from flaming red to shining yellow, indicating that autumn had now completely won over the last remnants of a beautiful summer. She had been sitting this way for hours now, looking at the blue sky contrasting with the aggressive yet wonderful colours painting the huge trees. Trying to ignore the pain, which was becoming more insistent with each passing second, Aerith sighed softly, keeping her eyes locked at the beautiful scenery, since it prevented her from looking at her now completely bruised arms. Somehow, the disease seemed to work it's way inside her a lot faster than it had while flowing in her sister's veins. In fact, even Tenzen still looked healthy when they reached Radiant Garden…But, didn't Adoria say the virus seemed to be less virulent inside her body? …From what she saw now, Aerith doubted she had been right about it.

As she was lost in thoughts, she heard soft footsteps approaching her and smiled softly, knowing Sephiroth had entered the room. She then let her mind wander to brighter reflections, letting her voice carry them for him to hear.

"The summer is already over. Soon enough, the leaves will fall and be covered by pure, shining white snow. …You know…my birthday is in winter" she declared, still looking outside the window as she spoke.

"I see…" was Sephiroth's only answer.

"It's February seventh. I don't know how old I'll be, and I guess it doesn't matter here, in a place where eternity is ours…But still, I'd like to live through a new birthday"

Staying silent, Sephiroth approached her slowly, then encircled her frail shoulders with his strong arms. Her smile filled with peaceful contentment, she leaned into him, sighing softly as she wondered what kind of present he would give her should she live until that day.

"I'd love to spent a nice birthday with a smiling sister, a loving mother …and, a handsome lover" she added, raising sparkling eyes to meet Sephiroth's icy jades.

"You will" he simply stated, placing a kiss on top of her head.

She nodded.

"Yes, I know"

Silence then fell upon them for a few moments as they both looked at the glowing foliage decorating the immense trees, wondering what kind of fate awaited them.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Seph. I don't feel good at all. My head…feels like it's going to explode at any moment, my skin aches…and I'm so, so tired…" she sighed, closing her soft eyelids.

"…"

A moment later, as if to confirm her words, Sephiroth realised she had fallen asleep, leaning heavily against him. Sighing, he took her in his arms and installed her comfortably in her bed, covering her with as much covers as he could find, knowing from the unusual warmth of her skin that she had a strong fever.

'Why is it evolving so rapidly?' he wondered in the back of his mind, feeling totally helpless.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A few hours went by as Sephiroth stayed by Aerith's side, occasionally wiping a fresh, wet cloth against her forehead and removing the stubborn bangs sticking to her sweaty skin as she slept soundly, not even flinching as the cold tissue came in contact with her overly warm skin. Outside, the sun had already traded it's shining place among the heavens with the silver moon, which was now illuminating the thick darkness lurking over the city like a smiling guardian. Through the window, Sephiroth could see it's imaginary visage staring at him, an impression he always had each time he got the chance to lay eyes upon a clear, full moon. Somehow, he always knew that this glowing, silver ball was nothing more than some kind of rock floating in space, and therefore, it couldn't have a face, even less be smiling as it watched over the sleeping land.

Grunting his annoyance, he reported his attention back to the slumbering flower laying heavily on the mattress, frowning as he noticed a few, brand new bruises that had appeared on her porcelain skin. In fact, each time he dared turning his eyes away, if only for a single moment, more stains appeared on her, and were obvious enough for him to notice them as soon as he laid eyes on her once again.

'She won't last long, if this continues like that' he thought in the back of his mind, knowing that whipping clothes at her face wouldn't do anything to help her.

Feeling a sudden wave of frustration flowing through his whole being, Sephiroth got to his feet in one swift motion before leaving the room and smashing his fist against a wall and making a nice, huge hole in the middle of it.

'I'm about to kill her again…' he accused himself, taking deep breaths as he tried to control his flaring temper.

Closing his eyes as he forced his blood to cool down, Sephiroth thought that as long as he could try and prevent it, he would do everything in his power to do so. Once he was certain to be able to control himself, he went to the front door and swiftly exited the house, filling his burning lungs with a refreshing breath of pure, chilly air. Then, walking a determined pace, he reached the hospital, and soon found himself face to face with the blonde nurse that oh so annoyed him.

"Is Adoria still here?" he asked flatly.

"Yes. She is in her lab. Fourth floor, section D. You can't miss it" the woman answered, obviously eager to see him disappear from her sight.

Not bothering to thank her for the information, the silver haired man headed in the said direction, finally reaching a white door labelled with Adoria's name, indicating he had indeed found the place he was looking for. Noticing that the door was slightly opened, Sephiroth pushed it carefully and took a look inside, his glowing eyes immediately finding the woman he was looking for, sitting in front of a huge microscope, her raven hair falling all around her face as she analysed some kind of substance. But, before Sephiroth had the time to say or do anything, she let out an exasperated sigh, pulling away from her microscope, a frustrated look plastered upon her face.

"Gods, why won't you just _die_, you damned bitch!" she exclaimed spitefully, smashing her fist against the table.

Raising a questioning eyebrow, Sephiroth approached her slowly, wondering who exactly she had been talking about. Then, he cleared his throat, making her jump right out of her thoughts as she finally noticed him, blushing as she realised he had witnessed her losing her temper.

"What do you want?" she spat, turning her attention back to the microscope.

"I only wanted to know if there was… some improvement in your research" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Well, as you probably can see, no, there is nothing new and I would like to be left alone, if you don't mind. As I recall, you did not allow me a night of sleep yesterday and it looks like I won't close my eyes for a single second tonight, either. I'm not in the mood to talk" she complained, feeling totally embarrassed but not willing to let it show.

Wondering why she was so…unpleasant, not that it was something new, of course, Sephiroth observed her for a few moments, noticing that she appeared to be analysing Aerith's blood.

"I see. Well, except from wanting to face your wrath, I came here to inform you…that Aerith is not well. Not at all…I would like you to come check on her, if possible" he declared, his suspicious eyes never leaving her slender form as she did her best to ignore him.

"I'll see what I can do…I'll come by her house tomorrow" she answered, her cold voice melting with uneasiness that didn't fail to catch Sephiroth's attention.

Knowing he wouldn't get anything more out of her, at least for the moment, he left the room, wondering if that woman had something more in mind than simple 'scientific ambitions'. If that was the case, he would make sure to find out the truth behind her actions.

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**A/N: Hm…I wonder what's on her mind…stay tuned to learn more about it! **


	22. Relief

**I don't own FFVII**

**A/N : Here's a new chapter, a little short compared to the usual length of my posts, but I felt like ending it where it does. **

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Last Chapter…

Knowing he wouldn't get anything more out of her, at least for the moment, he left the room, wondering if that woman had something more in mind than simple 'scientific ambitions'. If that was the case, he would make sure to find out the truth behind her actions.

------------------

Sitting lazily on an uncomfortable chair placed in front of her microscope, which was surrounded by all kinds of samples and other instruments, Adoria sighed heavily, rubbing her aching, tired eyes in hope to clear away the exhaustion shadowing her sapphire orbs. After two nights completely devoid of sleep, she felt totally zombiefied, having the uncomfortable impression that each of her movements were annoyingly jerky. Trying her best to ignore the thousand hammers thundering between her temples and to keep her heavy eyelids open, she rose to her feet and left the laboratory, eager to do something, anything, to tear her eyes away from her stagnant research.

'I should go check on Kitakaze…' she decided, listening to her own footsteps cracking against the hard, white floor as she headed to the quarantine rooms, still not knocking before opening the door softly, knowing the girl would still be asleep.

Carefully pushing the door open, she peered inside Kitakaze's room, her face taking on a slight expression of surprise as she saw something a little… unusual.

Laying heavily on the cold, white mattress, Kitakaze was, indeed, sleeping, but next to her laid Tenzen, holding her in a protective embrace as he was lost in a slumber just as deep as hers.

'I guess the check-up will have to wait' the scientist thought in the back of her mind, silently closing the door behind her as she left.

Then, she headed to the washroom, eager to reanimate herself by washing her pale face with a generous amount of icy water. As the cold liquid came in contact with her warm visage, she flinched a little, her breath momentarily caught in her throat as her body took on the unexpected assault. She then grabbed a tissue and removed the remnants of glowing liquid from her now rosy figure, thinking back to the night she had spent, loosing her time working on a problem that just didn't seem to have any solution to it. As she did so, Sephiroth's visit to her lab flooded through her memory, reminding her of the awkward moment that had happened between them as she hopelessly lost her temper in front of him, spiting out something she should never have said…

'Gods, I was so nasty with him yesterday…He really didn't deserve that kind of treatment… I guess I really should apologise…' she reflected, feeling bad for pouring her frustration on him when he already had enough problems as it is.

Her mind then wandered to Aerith, and she knew that Sephiroth probably didn't allow himself a single second of sleep, either.

'Oh, right… I told him I'd drop by today. I guess I'll do just that, now…' she told herself as she exited the washroom, trying to force her tired mind to stay focused on the day ahead instead of whishing she could be comfortably snuggled in her soft, warm bed.

0o0o0o0

An hour later, she found herself in front of Aerith's house, pressing at the doorbell before nervously taking a glance at her watch, which showed her that it was only seven in the morning. But, before she had the time to regret her move, the door cracked open, revealing a tall, handsome man who looked just as perfect as ever, even if he hadn't slept at all. But the same thing could not be said about her, as she looked like a pale, exhausted ghost whose mind worked in slow motion.

"…Can I come in?" she asked, feeling a little embarrassed under his demanding glare.

"Yes"

He then stepped aside, allowing her to enter the house before closing the door behind her, hoping she would not notice the hole that decorated the wall. But, his hopes were in vain as her eyes quickly found their way to it, a tiny smile drawing itself on her lips as she immediately knew the reason of this new 'ornament'. But, she said nothing of it, her figure immediately regaining it's usual coldness as she turned her attention back to him.

"How is she?" the scientist asked.

"I'm not sure… she's been sleeping since yesterday afternoon. But her fever seems to have dropped now" the silver haired man answered, motioning in the direction of Aerith's bedroom.

"I see" was Adoria's only reply as she headed in the said direction, finally reaching Aerith's bed and sitting at the edge of it, sliding her graceful hands in a pair of white, sterile gloves before carefully placing her palm on top of Aerith's pale forehead.

"Hm…you're right. There's no fever" she added before taking the sleeping girl's hand in her own, intently observing the harsh bruises staining her pale skin.

'…Something's not right' she then thought, frowning as her eyes analysed the situation.

Noticing the interrogations spreading all over Adoria's face, Sephiroth raised a questioning eyebrow as his untrusting, icy reptilian jades followed her every movement. Obviously, he had not forgotten her little outburst and was far, very far from erasing it from his memory. But, Adoria was oblivious to his constant stare as she turned her attention back to him, her face neutral.

"Sephiroth. Can you go to the lake and bring me a bowl large enough, full of Lifestram filled water?" she suddenly asked.

"What exactly do you need water for? Can't you just take some from the bathtub?" he asked coldly.

"You'll see. I need water from the lake because there's more Lifestream in it, that's all. So, will you do it?"

"I'm not leaving you alone with her." the silver haired man spat, crossing his arms over his chest in a defiant manner that didn't fail to annoy her.

Rolling her eyes, she let out an exasperated sigh before getting to her feet in a graceful motion.

"All right. I'll do it myself. But can you at least give me something in which I can pour the water?" she replied, putting a hand on her hip defiantly.

"Hmph"

Knowing it was for Aerith's well being, Sephiroth locked his pride somewhere under his chest and did as he was told, bringing her the biggest bowl he could put his hands on.

0o0o0o0o

A moment later, Adoria was back in Aerith's room, carrying some towels and a bowl full of pure, Lifestream mingled water. As for Sephiroth, he observed her carefully, still trying to notice anything suspicious tainting her actions. But, until now, he was very disappointed to see that there was none of it. Maybe, after all, was he being a little too paranoid…

"Yesterday… her bruises were purple, right?" the scientist asked as she prepared herself for whatever task she had in mind.

"Yes…"

"Hm…" Adoria sighed thoughtfully, sitting herself at the edge of the bed and drowning a towel in the glowing water.

"Have you noticed? They're not purple anymore" she added after a moment of silence.

Raising an eyebrow as he had yet to remark anything of the sort, Sephiroth approached the bed and took a careful look at Aerith's bruised arms, noticing with a slight surprise that, indeed, her wounds were now darker, almost black. Then, the silver haired man's eyes brightened with recognition as the pieces started to fit together.

"Geostigma" he breathed, knowing that there wasn't a single doubt about it.

"Yes. I believe humans cannot be infected by the same disease that affects the Cetra race. Geostigma is a kind of virus that is similar, but not very harmful…at least, when you know how to stop it. Aerith is half human, so it is logical to believe that her human side saved her life. The virus did not spread faster in her, not at all… she was sick because her body was fighting against it, and grew tired. I will have to take a sample of her blood, though, to make sure she is really safe from harm" Adoria explained, a content, almost triumphant smile drawing itself on her lips as she carefully washed Aerith's bruises, which disappeared almost instantly as the unearthly liquid came in contact with it.

"Why doesn't she wake up, then?" Sephiroth asked, trying to sound neutral to hide the suspicion tainting his whole being.

Somehow, even if the woman sincerely seemed to be happy for her patient's recovery, Sephiroth wondered if she hadn't predicted this from the very beginning, her words about someone refusing to die resonating clearly in his mind as he watched the scene unfolding before him.

"Her body needs a little rest, after loosing so much energy in defeating the unwanted cells poisoning her blood" Adoria answered.

"I see…"

Then, silence fell upon them as Adoria took a syringe and pierced Aerith's skin, allowing the sharp needle to drink a small amount of the half-Cetra's crimson blood. That done, she got to her feet and gathered her belongings before heading to the front door, ready to head back to her lab and analyse her new sample.

"When she wakes up, just pour a warm bath for her and that should be enough to wash the remnants of the virus away. I think she'll be perfectly fine" the scientist explained as she stood in the doorway.

"I'll do just that" the silver haired man answered, unable to help himself as a slight smile drew itself on his lips, relief flowing through his body as the news of Aerith's recovery slowly invaded his mind.

"Good. You can come to my lab in the evening, I'll probably have the results of my analysis of her blood. But don't worry, it will be ok"

"I'll drop by, but I hope you'll be less aggressive than yesterday" Sephiroth answered sarcastically.

"Of course. …I apologise for being so rude. I guess it's what happens when I don't sleep"

Nodding his understanding, Sephiroth simply watched as she offered him a slight, friendly smile before saluting him with a wave of her hand and going back to the hospital. Watching her go, he thought that, maybe, he would ask her a few questions later, and finally know if she was as trustable as she seemed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A while later, Aerith's eyes blinked open as she dreamily stretched her limbs, letting out a small, contented sigh as she did so. Sitting on a chair nearby, Sephiroth observed as she slowly woke up and placed sweet, sleepy emeralds on him.

"What time is it…?" she asked, her voice a little cracked from lack of use.

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon. You slept for a whole day" the silver haired man answered flatly.

"Really? …Maybe that's why I feel so good…I'm completely rejuvenated" the young woman stated, smiling contentedly as she hugged her fluffy pillow, burying her visage in it's warm softness.

"Actually…that's not really the case. You must feel this way simply because…you're not sick anymore. You've healed" Sephiroth informed her, a small hint of a smile drawing itself on his lips.

"…What?" Aerith wondered, rising to a sitting position, an expression of surprise spreading on her face as she noticed the cleanness of her porcelain skin.

"Adoria came here and examined you. She found out that you were able to fight the disease and eliminate it, because you're half-human. You know…you should really love your father now" Sephiroth explained.

"Are you serious?" Aerith exclaimed, her voice filled with refrained happiness as she was unable to believe her ears.

"You know I'm always serious" the silver haired man replied, getting to his feet in a graceful motion.

"…and Adoria said that I should pour a bath for you, to make sure the remaining bruises would be washed away by the Lifestream. So, I'm going to do just that, now" he added, making his way towards the bathroom.

But, as he walked past the bed, she left her warm place on the mattress and placed herself in front of him, plunging her hope filled eyes in his and putting a gentle hand on his chest, blocking his path.

"…Sephiroth…are you really sure? Am I truly safe?" she asked in a pleading whisper.

"Of course you are. Don't you trust me?" he replied, sliding one hand around her waist and carefully pulling her towards him.

"…Yes, you know I do…But…this is too good to be real" the flower girl breathed, leaning into him and placing her cheek against his chest, listening to his calm heartbeat.

"I knew you'd be fine. But, you'll be even more if you wash up now" the silver haired man declared before pulling away, ready to resume his previous actions.

But, once again, he was stopped in his tracks as Aerith's hand grabbed his own, making him turn his attention back to her. But, this time, her eyes were glowing with something mischievous as a slightly devilish grin curved her lips in an endearing manner.

"I don't want to take a bath. I'll take a shower instead" she decided.

"As you wish"

"But…I won't take it alone" she purred, dragging him towards the washroom, her sparkling eyes never leaving his icy ones as a smile reflecting her own drew itself on his lips.

"Hm…sounds interesting"

Then, she curled her arms around his neck and pushed him towards her, claiming his lips in a warm, passion filled kiss as he kicked the door closed, and soon found himself pressed against it as his mind was drowned in a wave of blissful sensations.

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**A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	23. Doubt & Secrets

**A/N: I guess the next chapters will be shorter, around 3000 words I guess, because I'll update each one or two weeks, and I have a lot of homework to do. So, I hope you'll enjoy this new update! By the way, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, I really appreciate it.**

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Last Chapter…

Then, she curled her arms around his neck and pushed him towards her, claiming his lips in a warm, passion filled kiss as he kicked the door closed, and soon found himself pressed against it as his mind was drowned in a wave of blissful feelings.

---------------------

Later that day, sitting on the soft grass gracing the smooth ground of their house's courtyard, Aerith and Sephiroth watched the star filled sky, both being completely silent as they were lost in their own little world. Holding Aerith close to him and shielding her from the slightly chilly air floating around them, Sephiroth knew he would have to go pay a visit to Adoria soon, but for now, he was far too content to move a single hair.

As he breathed the scent of her loose, curled hair which still smelled like watermelon shampoo, he thought that he would certainly remember to take long showers more often, trying not to smirk as he could still feel the smoothness of Aerith's glistening skin under his greedy grasp, the softness of her own small fingers trailing teasing lines along his muscles as he held her as close to him as he could. Taking a deep breath as he felt a little… perturbed by the remembrance, the silver haired man chased those thoughts away, whishing to let his flower girl rest against him, undisturbed.

He then let his eyes fall to her endearing face, observing how the silver moonlight drew graceful shadows along her peaceful features as it's dim veil shyly illuminated her porcelain cheeks, his thoughts now flowing to another memory, one that was now buried deep in the reaches of his mind. A few weeks ago, or maybe has it been months, he had looked at her sleeping visage, tranquil under the star filled heavens, lost in silent dreams as she was oblivious to his icy jades, which greedily drank on her untainted beauty. That night, he had wondered how angry Cloud would be, if he saw his flower girl in such a position, laying side by side with his sworn enemy, just like he himself had wished to be…

Then, inside Sephiroth's mind, the obvious jealousy Cloud would feel had only fuelled his interests in the unattainable flower girl, his twisted and cruel mind wishing to make the blonde puppet suffer in the worst way, by stealing the woman most precious to his sorrowful heart, even if he would never know about it. Somehow, the thought of winning her made him feel like he could finally stab a sharp, lethal dagger in the dumb blonde's back and renewing his crumbled pride. Back then, Aerith still looked at him with fear, distrust, and even…disgust, unwanted feelings shadowing her sweet emeralds, a darkness that did not belong among the traits of her fragile features. But, it was those dreadful feelings, this desire for unending vengeance, and Zack's memories, that first drew him to her. For him, she represented a good challenge, a way to prove to himself that he was able to accomplish anything he wanted to, to remind himself of his own superiority.

Now that he reflected back on it, Sephiroth realised that never did he have a single doubt about the fact that, maybe, his twisted little game would turn into something completely different. Somehow, he had been caught in his own trap…and his little play had soon turned into affection… a sentiment that he previously saw as a stupid illusion that could only exist inside of an hopeless, weak human mind in need of something to justify it's existence. All his life, he had thought himself above all those fleeting dreams, above the naïve beliefs of inexistent heavens.

'Or maybe…I'm fooling myself' he wondered in the back of his mind, frowning as he wondered if someone like him, an inhuman killer who only took what he desired until he grew tired of it, could really change so much.

Maybe the feelings he had for Aerith were an overwhelming mixture of triumph, vengeance and physical desire, a wave of selfishness that he mistook for love, or something close to it. Maybe, one day, once the sentiment of conquest, of novelty faded away, he would do like he always did and feel his desire slip away, only to finally realise his love was nothing more than a misinterpretation of his own hatred and selfishness. Even now, he couldn't help but to be pleased as he imagined the devastated look flowing upon Cloud's stupid face should he see them, sitting under the stars in a loving embrace. Such a sight would be priceless.

Then, like an heavenly melody sent to wash away his darkest thoughts, Aerith's voice rang softly as she raised calm emeralds to meet his reptilian gaze, the image of Cloud's humiliated face slowly flowing away from his mind.

"We'll need to find ourselves some kind of job, in the next few days. Even here, in the Promised Land, we need money to survive… no matter how annoying this is" she declared.

"…I guess"

"I thought we could go search in the town, tomorrow. But…maybe if you could convince Adoria to let you see Tenzen…you could ask him if we can reopen his shop and take care of it while he is away. You know, it's been closed for almost a month now…" the young woman added.

"I'll see what I can do" Sephiroth answered flatly, telling himself that selling high-quality weapons for a 'friend' would surely be more interesting than becoming some kind of low-life loosing his time working for a stupid, annoying boss in a damned boutique.

Noticing his dark mood, Aerith frowned.

"Are you ok?" she asked, already predicting his answer.

"Yes, I'm fine" he replied, his tone neutral, making Aerith roll her eyes in annoyance as her guess had been right.

Remarking this and knowing it was now impossible for him to hide anything from her as she began to know him more than anyone had before, Sephiroth let out a slight chuckle before taking a moment to find an efficient answer.

"All this silence makes me think too much. And the idea of having to work instead of spending my whole days next to you isn't very pleasant…" he said, letting his eyes trail along her body as a slight smirk curved his lips.

"Hm…you're right" the flower girl purred, blushing slightly as he leaned down and captured her lips in a languorous kiss, making blissful shivers run down her spine as she closed her eyes softly, oblivious to the fact that he was now pretty much satisfied with his answer, which had obviously fooled her.

But, of course, he had to admit to himself that his words were true, in a sense. If he could only stay by her side and enjoy the pride of holding such a beautiful creature's heart in his unworthy grasp, life would be pretty much enjoyable. Unfortunately, living wasn't always an easy play and he knew Aerith was right. They both needed to find something to do out of their existence, and make a living. For a man who had never known anything else than war, blood, murders and lots of easy money, finding a job like any normal person wasn't a very exciting idea.

Trying not to sigh as he broke off the kiss, Sephiroth raised his eyes to the stars, relieved as Aerith did not add a single word and simply laid her head against his chest, smiling contentedly as his hands found her silky chestnut curls and slowly caressed their fine strands. Resuming his previous thoughts, he then remembered how Adoria had told him how obvious his love for Aerith was. Being a woman who could read other people's minds, could she be wrong? …Maybe. But, when she had first told him those unhesitant words, he had believed her.

In the middle of all those uncertainties, though, something rang well and clear in his mind. She made him _feel_. If she had died, maybe a tear would have fell down his cheek, maybe he would have tasted it's bitter taste on his lips, reminiscing of times long, long past, when he was still an hopeless child whishing for brighter days. With her, a part of himself would have withered away, a light in his heart born from her touch.

And this was something he was not ready to let go. Even if his mind was shadowed in doubt, he knew that he needed her, and she needed him. Maybe, for now, this was the only thing that mattered.

'Perhaps, with time, I'll begin to understand myself. Understand the man Aerith is in love with…the one I supposedly became…' he told himself in the back of his mind, knowing that, somehow, in the deepest reaches of his soul, he would always be Sephiroth, Gaia's would-be destroyer and Cloud's nemesis.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

A few moments later, after Aerith finally went to sleep, the silver haired man headed to Adoria's lab, finding her sitting in front of her huge microscope, looking like she still planned to spend the whole night working on the project. Standing in the doorway, Sephiroth waited for her to notice him, but she was way too absorbed in her own work to tear her eyes from it anytime soon. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer to the woman, making her jump right out of her thoughts, just as she did the day before. Placing cold sapphire eyes on him, she didn't even bother to fake a smile as she was obviously back to her usual, cold demeanour. For some reason, he wished she would be a little more friendly, like when she came to Aerith's house in the morning.

"I thought you would never come" she declared neutrally, turning her attention back to her annoying, scientific instruments.

"I preferred to wait until Aerith fell asleep"

"Oh, I see. How did she take the news? She must have been happy. Did you throw a party?" the scientist asked, her tone slightly playful.

"Well…let's just say that she was…delightful" the silver haired man answered, a smirk drawing itself on his lips.

"I won't ask you the hidden meaning of this sentence" Adoria stated coldly, even if her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Don't you already know? You can read my mind"

Raising a pair of now serious, dark sapphires to meet his tall frame, she finally got to her feet and approached him, indicating that he now had her complete attention.

"I only do it when I feel threatened. But, it's true that, sometimes, I can't help it"

"What do you mean?" the silver haired man asked, a flicker of interest passing through his icy jades.

"When a strong feeling grows inside a person I know, I can feel it, even if I don't want to"

"I see…"

"…But I can be mistaken. I did not live the same life as those persons, so my interpretation of the sentiment may be wrong" she added, a shadow darkening her features as her shoulders suddenly seemed to wear the world's sorrow.

Seeing her eyes fall down to the floor in despair, only to brighten and find his gaze a second later, Sephiroth realised that, for some reason, she despised her own powers.

"Well, I guess you didn't come here to hear my own fairy tale" she said sarcastically, whishing to change the subject.

"…"

Placing a small smile on her lips, she ignored his silence and spoke again.

"She'll be fine, just like I told you. Her body has developed a resistance to the virus, just like you. She's completely immune now"

At her words, Sephiroth's shoulders visibly relaxed as the last of his worries flew away from his mind.

"I'm really happy for her, and I'm sincere about it" the scientist added firmly, putting a hand on her hip.

Noticing the inner meaning of her words, Sephiroth raised a questioning eyebrow, attracting an annoyed sigh from the tired woman.

"I know you thought I was talking about her, last night…that I wanted her to die…"

Her voice trailing on the last words, she breathed softly before finishing her sentence, unable to hide the suffering darkening her eyes.

"You can rest assured. This was not the case…I wasn't talking about her"

"I see… Who was it, then?" the silver haired man asked, intrigued by her strange, sorrowful behaviour.

Gathering her courage in a single breath, she turned her back to him, closing her eyes softly as she allowed a wave of painful, repressed memories to flow through her consciousness.

"I was talking about Jenova" she admitted, her words not failing to surprise Sephiroth.

"…Care to explain?" he questioned, getting more and more interested.

"I suppose you already know that when we live here, our bodies do not age unless we wish for them to"

"Yes"

"Well, you shouldn't be surprised by the fact that I am much older than I seem…You see, when the creature your people named Jenova first came to your planet, I was there, living in the knowless pole. At first, everyone thought she was one of us, and she was respected. But, I wasn't so easily fooled…because of my powers, I knew her true intentions…but no one believed me. Being the nasty alien she was, the calamity was not blind to the menace I represented to her. So, one night, she came to my house and…"

Swallowing hard as she spoke her last words, Adoria took a shaky breath, wondering if she would be able to finish her little story without breaking down.

"Continue" Sephiroth demanded calmly, realising how hard this was on her, but not wanting to tame his curiosity.

"…My husband was working downstairs, and I was asleep when the doorbell rang, awaking me. But, when I got down the stairs and reached the living room, I saw my husband speaking with a woman…but…that woman…was … me…"

"She took your physical appearance" the silver haired man guessed.

"Yes. But I didn't have the time to react, or warn him… So he died, thinking his murderer was no one else than myself"

"I am sorry" Sephiroth sighed, finally understanding why she was so set on finding a cure to the disease that destroyed her race.

Turning to face him once again, she did not bother to cover her tear stained face as her lips trembled softly, allowing him to see the deepness of her despair.

"Naturally, it was the night… so no one saw her. She fled, and the next day… the entire village condemned me for killing my own husband, a man I loved with all my heart…and I was locked away in a prison…while the calamity finally could unleash her powers upon the Cetras…"

"You don't have to feel guilty over it. It was their fault if they did not listen to your warnings" the silver haired man stated flatly, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought that the Cetras had it coming.

"I know, and I don't… They set me free when they realised I had been right. Once we all found our beloved land and ended up in this very town, they built a house for me, thinking this could erase the past… But…I'll never forget my husband, the way his blood dripped down my hands as I held his body…and the fact that he'll never know the truth…"

"Well, he should have known you were sleeping upstairs. So, it would be logical to think he knew something was not right" Sephiroth replied.

"Yes…I know…But…he should be in this world, too…If that's the case, why…why didn't he try to find me? …Either he thinks I truly killed him, or he is not able to face me, to love me again…so he fled… For all those years, I lived in this town, wishing he would come to me, one day…"

Burying her face in her hands, she began to sob helplessly, her raven hair falling all around her pale visage as her shoulders shook softly, oblivious to the calm footsteps that approached her.

"It is very hard to love someone who wears the visage of your own murderer…For that, I believe…Aerith is a very courageous woman. She…she was able to do…what my love never tried…" she whimpered, loosing her balance as her mind crumbled under the weight of her despair, her tired body finally abandoning her as she fell forward…

Only to find herself being grasped by a pair of strong arms as she bumped against Sephiroth's strong chest. Embarrassed, she tried to pull away, but his grip on her only tightened.

"L-let me go, Sephiroth. I have to…to go back to work…I _need_ to destroy her! …Kitakaze doesn't have much time left…If she dies, I'll never forgive myself..." the woman sobbed desperately, struggling weakly against him.

"Forget it. You'll accomplish nothing if you're exhausted, and you obviously need a long, good night of sleep" the silver haired man insisted.

"N-no..." she protested, a second before he swooped her off the ground and into his arms, carrying her like a child.

"I'm going to get you home" he stated firmly.

"What? Put me down…I…I can walk…" she replied indignantly.

"No, you can't. Just close your eyes now…" he whispered, sliding his fingers along her eyelids and closing them gently.

Then, he felt the tenseness leave her body as she finally gave in and leaned against him, ready to abandon her consciousness to the tender world of sweet dreams.

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**A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	24. A new day

**A/N : Gods, I have a lot of homework to do! Heavens please help me! Lolll…. On top of it, I just can't seem to find sleep tonight, so …that's why this chapter is here, hope you enjoy it. **

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Last Chapter…

Then, he felt the nervousness leave her body as she finally gave in and leaned against him, ready to abandon her consciousness to the tender world of sweet dreams.

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A few moments after he managed to enter Adoria's house and placed her on the soft mattress of her king sized bed, Sephiroth sat in a corner of the room, keeping his eyes on the woman's sleeping form, comfortably snuggled under her warm, black covers, her raven hair spreading on the pillow and mingling in it's darkness as her pure white skin contrasted with everything that surrounded her. Like him, she seemed to like everything better when its color was black.

Feeling quite tired himself but not wanting to give in, Sephiroth decided to ignore his heavy eyelids as he kept watch, making sure she would not awaken and flee to her lab in an attempt to continue her research, even if it meant being exhausted to death. Having nothing else to do than observe her, he allowed his reptilian gaze to admire the undeniable beauty of her pale face, thinking that, besides Aerith, she was the most unusual person he had ever met.

A few hours ago, he had thought her to be a cold, unfeeling woman whose only interest was her damned research, nothing else. In fact, he had even felt like she was a little like him, in a way. While he only desired power and personal satisfaction, she wanted to have the selfish glory of pushing the limits of science further. But, now that she had showed him the hidden reaches of her soul, he knew that behind her cold mask, behind the scientist, existed a sensitive woman cracked to the core, but, somehow, not entirely broken.

Then, he had concluded that she wasn't like him at all. She felt so much pain, and used a cold facade to hide it from the world, like a thick shell protecting her from humanity, and from herself. But, as he reflected about it, he wondered if, once again, he was wrong about himself. Maybe, like her, he pretended to feel nothing, and after so many years of pretending, he came to believe his own lies.

'Hmph. Maybe she's _really_ a lot like me' he thought in the back of his mind, not at all pleased with the possibility.

As he thought about Adoria's similarity to himself, Sephiroth realised that her own story, aside from her behaviour, was also very much like his own.

'I killed Aerith…to make Cloud suffer. Of course, Holy _needed _to be stopped but…I could have dealt with it without having to end her life. I did it because I wanted to make him even weaker than he already was…Just like Jenova, when she killed Adoria's lover. She could have killed her, instead…but that wouldn't have been satisfying enough' the silver haired man reflected, remembering that, back then, he had forced Jenova's body to take his physical appearance to kill the last remaining Cetra.

'…Maybe I wasn't really controlling her, after all…Perhaps…her mind was a part of my own, and I was never able to realise it' he wondered, telling himself that, maybe, he wasn't as guilty as he thought…

'Adoria cannot be blamed for her lover's murder...'

Taking a moment to try and search inside of himself for a tiny bit of comforting redemption, Sephiroth let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he was way more guilty than Adoria could ever be, and her guilt seemed to be way more painful than his own…In fact, he wasn't sure if he really felt guilty about anything at all. No, there was no redemption for a man like him…at least, for now.

0o0o0o0o0

A while later…

After a long, well needed night of blissful slumber, Adoria stretched lazily as her eyes slowly fluttered open, and placed themselves on Sephiroth, who was still sitting on a small chair hidden in a dark corner, his head bowed down as he slept silently, a cascade of lustrous silver bangs falling in front of his calm figure. Remembering her previous outburst, she felt a little ashamed at herself for not being able to control her emotions. Letting out a sigh, she blinked away the last of her sleepiness, wondering why he stayed by her side for the whole night, when he could have left to fill his warm, comfortable place next to Aerith.

"…Sephiroth?" she asked hesitantly, unsure as if she should wake him or let him be.

But, she didn't have time to ponder over it as his eyes snapped open, his posture slowly straightening as he was now completely awake.

"Yes?"

"Hm…why are you still here? You know, Aerith must be worried…"

"I wanted to make sure you did not return to your lab"

"I see…Well…please forget what I said last night. I…have a tendency to…loose control, when I'm exhausted" she said, blushing slightly as she tried to hide her shame.

"…As you wish" Sephiroth replied flatly, not wanting to trouble her any more than she already was.

Letting out a quiet, relieved sigh, the woman rose to a sitting position, frowning as she realised she had slept with her lab coat and usual clothes. Then, she took a quick glance at her watch, her face immediately draining of all colors as an expression of horror mixed with surprise flowed through her sapphire eyes.

"Gods, it's two o'clock in the afternoon! I have to get to work! …My boss will kill me…and Aerith will kill _you_" she exclaimed, getting to her feet in one swift motion.

"Relax" the silver haired man chuckled, getting slightly amused.

"How can I?" she protested, jumping right out of her skin as the telephone rang suddenly.

Knowing without a doubt who was calling, Adoria took a deep, calming breath before picking up the phone, hearing the doctor's angry voice shouting right in her ears as soon as she said "hi".

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Right here" the woman said sarcastically.

"Well, come here right away! I need to show you something…Besides, you forgot to store away your samples yesterday, so they're all spoiled now. I hope you have a good reason!"

"Oh, good god…" she sighed, knowing she would have to take new samples from Kitakaze…and Sephiroth.

"Be happy that I am in a good mood. Now make your way here, and fast" the man said before hanging up.

Her heart racing, Adoria put the phone down before grabbing her purse, ready to leave without taking the time to brush her messy hair or put on a change of clothes.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go right away…I hope Aerith will be gentler with you than my boss was with me"

Nodding, Sephiroth got to his feet and followed her out, heading back to Aerith's house as Adoria went to the hospital, wishing she wasn't going to be fired for messing up precious samples and not showing up in time for work.

0o0o0o0o0o

As Sephiroth entered Aerith's house, he did not even have the time to see her appear in front of him before a violent slap was sent across his face, making him turn his head on the side as he clenched his jaw, trying his best to control his blazing temper. Taking a deep breath, he slowly turned to look at her, his icy jades throwing silent daggers as he plunged them in Aerith's frustrated emeralds.

"Where were you? I was worried sick!" she thundered, not at all impressed by his piercing glance.

"…"

"I woke up early this morning, and you weren't here! Nor were you anywhere in the town! I even went to the hospital, in case Adoria had seen you…and guess what? No one had seen her for the whole day either!" the woman continued, ignoring his silence.

"Aerith, calm down" he asked calmly, holding his pride at bay.

"Calm down? How can I calm down when you disappeared for a whole night, not even giving any sign of life?"

"Aerith, please, you know I can take care of myself" the silver haired man replied in an annoyed, sarcastic tone.

"…That's not…" she began, filling her lungs with fresh air as she held down her anger.

"…Seph…please, tell me…were you…with her?" the half-Cetra guessed after a small silence, a hint of sorrow tainting her sweet voice.

"Yes, I was"

Turning her back on him as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, Aerith stayed silent for a few moments, trying to gather the courage to ask him the question burning at her tongue, dreading the answer.

"Please, I want you to…to be honest with me. Did you…" she tried, her voice trailing over the last words.

As for Sephiroth, he had no problem guessing what she truly wanted to ask, and couldn't help himself but to let out a small, dark chuckle, getting slightly amused by her silly worries, but quickly regaining his composure as he did not want to anger her any further. So, once he forced some seriousness back in his mind, the silver haired man approached her silently, sliding his arms around her shoulders and placing his chin on top of her head.

"What's so funny?" she spat indignantly, trying to get away from him, but unable to break free from his strong grasp.

"Well, I would never have thought you would think I can cheat on you. It surprised me, that's all" he answered truthfully, burying his face in her hair, smelling their wonderful scent, knowing he would never get enough of it.

"…Really? You…you didn't?" the young woman wondered, her voice filled with an hopeful plea as she turned to look him straight in the eye.

"Of course. Don't worry"

Realising his eyes did not hold any kind of lies or mischievous intentions, Aerith let out a relieved sigh, evacuating every last remnant of the overwhelming mixture of unpleasant feelings that previously invaded her mind and body.

"You know, I would be…devastated if you did anything like that. Please, if you ever want to touch another woman…leave me before you do. It will be…less painful that way" she admitted, leaning against him.

"I said, don't worry" the silver haired man replied, holding her close.

"Ok…but, I'm still angry with you for not showing any sign of life. You can't imagine how many different scenarios invaded my mind in the last hours"

Sighing as he thought women were way too much complicated for him to try and understand what was going on inside their strange minds, Sephiroth stayed silent, relieved that, at least, she did not throw anything at him, like one of his past women had done one day, a year before Nibelheim…Back then, it had been _really_ hard for him to keep his temper in check and prevent himself from breaking her small little neck like an annoying twig.

'She was a pain…but at least, when the night came, she really was something…' he remembered, trying not to smirk.

Fortunately, Aerith was a lot easier to get along with than this crazy woman was, and…this little flower was more than interesting in many other ways.

"What did you do, then? I guess you at least owe me an explanation of what kept you away for so long" the flower girl suddenly asked, breaking him from his train of thoughts, a detail he was grateful for.

"She had a breakdown…and I decided to force her to stop working and rest a little. I stayed by her side all this time because I wanted to make sure she got some sleep"

Feeling a little uncomfortable by the image of Sephiroth watching another woman sleep, Aerith held him close to her, burying her face against his chest as she breathed the endearing scent of him, comforting herself by thinking that _she_ was the only one for him, the only one who could hold him close and listen to his calm heartbeat for as long as she felt the need to.

"That's good. I'm glad you helped her. You're slowly but surely becoming used to aiding others…and I'm happy that you're getting to know some people" she declared after a moment, a gentle smile drawing itself on her lips.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance as he had the impression of hearing a mother talk to her child; not that he had anything to compare to, of course; Sephiroth let out a small grunt, attracting a slight giggle from the petite brunette.

"I love you" she then declared playfully, grabbing a lock of perfect, lustrous silver hair as he tried to force his mind to find something intelligent as a reply, but, as always, those kinds of declarations weren't really his type…

Wishing to find an answer before her sweet smile slowly faded away from her pink lips, Sephiroth frowned, but was thankfully saved as the doorbell rang twice, making Aerith grunt in annoyance as she headed to the door and opened it swiftly, only to find herself face to face with Adoria, who was a bit flustered, like someone who just ran to reach the house. Seeing her messy hair and crumpled clothes, Aerith had to stop herself from raising a questioning eyebrow as Sephiroth reached her side.

"Glad to see you're both still alive, because you absolutely _need_ to see something" she breathed.

"What is it?" Aerith asked, getting interested.

"My boss…he thinks he found a cure! Gods, I can't believe it myself, but…Oh, hell, just come with me and you'll see for yourself!" the raven haired woman exclaimed.

"Really? He found it?" Aerith echoed, unable to believe her ears.

"Well, it seems like it…Please, follow me"

Nodding before grabbing her boots and swiftly placing her feet in them, Aerith then took a hold of Sephiroth's hand, dragging him outside as they left the house and followed Adoria, who led them straight to the hospital. Once they passed the doors of the building's entrance, Aerith swallowed her nervousness down, knowing she would not be able to stay still for the next few hours, finally understanding why Adoria was so excited.

'Can it really be true? Is my family's nightmare finally over?' the flower girl wondered.

No matter the answer, for now, the flower girl wanted to believe it so.

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**A/N: That was a short, but rather happy chapter, for a change. It is refreshing, I think, lol. Well, my birthday is almost here, YAY, I'm an old woman now…Loll…Well, reviews would make a fine gift :P**


	25. Thirst

**A/N : Sorry for the long wait! February as been one hell of a month, especially since my birthday. There were a lot of party, homework, stress and friends who wanted too much of my attention. But now I took a moment to write this chapter (short, I know), since I'm finally in vacation for a week. Or should I say…I have a week of work at home, lolll!! Well, have a good read!**

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Last Chapter…

they left the house and followed Adoria, who led them straight to the hospital. Once they passed the doors of the building's entrance, Aerith swallowed her nervousness down, knowing she would not be able to stay still for the next few hours, finally understanding why Adoria was so excited.

'Can it really be true? Is my family's nightmare finally over?' the flower girl wondered.

No matter the answer, for now, the flower girl wanted to believe it so.

-------------------

A few moments later, Aerith and Sephiroth were led to the second floor, and stopped in front of a plain, greenish white door leading to a small room as Adoria turned to face them, her facial expression betraying the trepidation flowing through her veins.

"Are you ready?" she asked them, an excited smile illuminating her pale face as she spoke.

"Yes! Please, stop teasing us!" Aerith pleaded, her bright green eyes trying to peer through the small opening of the door, her cheeks red with anticipation as she vainly explored.

Not waiting another second, Adoria opened the door in a controlled motion, revealing a sight that, indeed, didn't fail to draw an expression of pure surprise upon Aerith and Sephiroth's faces as they placed their curious glances upon the bed, laying in the middle of the room. Laying on top of it's pure white covers, a melancholic smile set upon her pale yet fine features, Kitakaze stared back at them, wearing an hospital gown that shoved most of her legs and arms, which were almost healed, half of her bruises having completely disappeared or were on the way to recovery. Even at first sight, her skin looked softer and healthier than it did in a long time, the smile illuminating her pale face adding to the warmth spreading through Aerith's tender heart as their eyes met.

"How…how can this be?" the flower girl breathed, almost failing to hear her own voice as her pulse thundered frantically against her skin, resonating between her temples.

"The doctor injected her with the cure before she went to sleep yesterday. She was consentient, of course. As you can see, it is already beginning to show encouraging effects, so we transferred her here, as her percentage of contagion significantly dropped. Your mother and Tenzen were also treated" Adoria explained, smiling contentedly as she spoke.

"I see…" said Aerith, unable to find anything else to say as her whole body trembled with blissful relief and blinding amazement.

As Aerith cautiously approached her sister's bed, her lovely eyes sparkling with refrained tears of unspoken happiness, Sephiroth stood at the doorway, observing Kitakaze with interest, wondering how she could have healed so fast. As far as he knew, yesterday, she was still on the verge of death, crying in hopes of salvation. Whatever substance the doctor injected inside her veins certainly was an efficient thing, as he was sure the last of her bruises would completely vanish in a few days. Soon enough, she would be standing outside, looking at the flawless sky, letting the burning sun bring her pale skin back to life. To Sephiroth's eyes, this was almost too easy to be believable.

"Tenzen and Ifalna are in the next rooms, just at the right side of this one. You're free to visit them if you wish, but I think they are resting right now" Adoria explained as the doctor joined them, a contented smile on his face, the smile of a resigned man who finally found a solution to a never-ending problem.

"Well, I'll leave you to your sweet reunion. We have some things to discuss" Adoria then declared before giving them one last smile and leaving with her superior, wishing to get all the details about how he finally got to destroy the annoying virus spoiling so many lives.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A few hours later, Aerith and Sephiroth were sitting next to the waterfall, listening to the comforting sound of running water as they thought about their reunion with Aerith's family. Everyone looked so happy, that even the depressing walls of the hospital didn't seem so gloomy anymore. Laying her head on Sephiroth's shoulder as she smiled with a pure sincerity that did not grace her features in a long time, Aerith slid her arm around her lover's torso, wishing to steal some of his never-ending warmth and shield herself from the chilly, autumn wind.

"No words can describe how happy I am" she declared dreamily, taking a deep breath to inhale the salty scent of the Lifestream mingled water.

"I know" the silver haired man replied, placing a gentle kiss on top of her head as he held her closer to his leather clad body.

"Everyone will live, and I have you. How could I find a reason to be sad anymore? I'm the happiest woman in the world" she added, closing her eyes in a sweet, dreamy motion, her smile growing wider as she let out a contented sigh.

"You're right. I would wish no less for you" he declared, sincerely thinking that she truly deserved to embrace life with a smile and never cry again.

'Sometimes, the only way to find happiness is to go through hell' the silver haired man thought, finding that humans were creatures who could not be contented without feeling pain. Somehow, the sweet little thing of everyday seemed much more blissful after a painful experience.

But, in the back of his mind, Sephiroth thought that something was not right. This was all too fast, everything about this sudden recovery was too unexpected. No matter how hard he wanted to believe that the doctor truly found a cure to the Jenova virus, the rational part of him screamed that maybe, they should wait a little more before screaming for victory.

"Tomorrow, we will open Tenzen's shop and take care of it before he can leave the hospital." Aerith added, turning her head to look at him as she spoke.

"Yes, I know" Sephiroth answered, trying not to sigh as he remembered he would be forced to work like any normal man, living a pathetic life.

But, at least, she would be by his side, gracing him with her sweet presence. Now that everything was back to normal, or at least, almost, she would smile, and give him some of her contagious brightness. Only at this specific moment, did he realise how much he needed to see her smile, a little gift so swiftly stolen, but enough to make him remember how far he was from his past life, and that, maybe, everything could begin anew for him as well as for her.

"Sephiroth…? What are you thinking about?" the flower girl asked softly, placing her warm hand on his cheek as she spoke.

"Hm?... Nothing" the silver haired man lied, after a slight hesitation, having been caught off guard.

"Hehe…Don't try to hide. I know there's something in your mind…because, just a moment ago, you had such a wonderful smile on your face…" she giggled, her sweet voice filled with undeniable love and admiration.

Frustrated at himself for letting his mask fall for a moment, Sephiroth let out an annoyed grunt, tearing his eyes away from hers, wishing to hide his embarrassment.

"You're such a child! You know you can't hide anything from me anymore" Aerith teased, placing her head against his chest.

A frustrated expression plastered upon his fine features, Sephiroth thought that no matter how close he wanted to be with his flower girl, no matter how much her cared for her, it was still hard for him to accept that someone could be able to read his every thoughts as easily as she did. Without a doubt, he was getting old.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A few moments later, the two lovebirds were taking a walk along the streets of Radiant Garden, holding each other at the waist as they calmly walked under the grey sky, announcing a storm, which would probably fall from the heavens as a million of limpid raindrops as soon as the next day would come. But, for now, the wind was calm and the air smelled like falling leaves, as the nature reflected the peace flowing through their souls. But, as they passed next to the hospital, Adoria came out of the front door in a swift, frustrated motion, her usually flawless face red with uncontrolled anger as she stormed her way towards them, only noticing their presence when they placed questioning glances upon her.

"Adoria? What's wrong?" Aerith asked anxiously.

"Oh, hm… It's nothing, don't worry" the black haired woman answered, clearing her throat as she tired to avoid their inquisitive eyes.

"…Is…my sister alright?" the flower girl asked hesitantly.

"Yes of course she is. You don't have to worry anymore. The nurses are annoying me, that's all" Adoria answered, forcing a smile back to her lips

"I see"

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I just finished my day and I really need some rest"

"Oh, it's all right. Good night" Aerith saluted, even if she knew Adoria was probably trying to hide something from them.

"I'll see you tomorrow" Adoria declared a bit too cheerfully before resuming her frantic, stress filled walk, heading straight to the isolated place where her house was hidden.

Once she was out of sight, Aerith raised a pair of concerned eyes to meet Sephiroth's cold ones, trying to find comfort in its icy depths.

"She's lying, isn't she…" the flower girl stated, her dark green orbs pleading for a word, anything that could wash away the uneasiness flowing though her soul.

"Well…maybe something bad really happened at work. I know the nurses don't like her very much" the silver haired man answered carefully, making sure not to show his own thoughts on the subject.

"I hope it's not anything about my sister…" the flower girl feared, hiding herself inside his strong embrace.

"Hm…who knows, perhaps she is frustrated because she is not the one who found the cure" Sephiroth proposed, thinking that this could be the reason, knowing her.

"Maybe"

Then, they stayed silent for a few moments, simply enjoying the other's presence as their bodies were tangled in a loving embrace, in the middle of a street, in front of everyone who wanted to see. For now, they did not care in the least, only wanting to let their own anxiety flow away from their minds, healed by the warmth of their touch.

Once Sephiroth's words had completely sunk inside her mind, Aerith pulled away, a slight smile gracing her porcelain features as she took his hand in hers, ready to resume their walk along the marble floors of her new home.

"For now, I want to believe you. Tonight, everything will be alright" she whispered, feeling as if her heart was as light as a soft, pure white feather.

Nodding his understanding, the silver haired man pulled her closer to him, sliding his hand around her curved waist, just as he did before Adoria ran into them. Tomorrow, he would see the scientist and ask her everything about the cure, and make sure nothing his flower girl's joy would not be tainted.

0o0o0o0o0o

The next day…

In the middle of a grey afternoon, Aerith and Sephiroth were working in Tenzen's shop as previously planned, the flower girl taking care of the counter and welcoming consumers as the silver haired man was sitting in a corner, polishing weapons. Being at work for a few hours now, Sephiroth was surprised to realise that his part of the job was almost pleasant, and he was rather lost in his thoughts as he expertly put the weapons back in shape. As Aerith was the one taking care of the annoying people, he did not have to talk to anybody and that was something he certainly wasn't going to complain about. But, just as he was starting to enjoy himself, a woman wearing stretched leather sticking to her like a second skin entered the store, wearing a grumpy, unpleasant expression on her not-so-attractive visage. As she obviously looked like someone searching for trouble, Sephiroth observed her from the corner of his eye as she took a look a the weapons displayed on the walls.

"Can I help you with something?" Aerith asked as cheerfully as she could, approaching the woman, having noticed her behaviour just as well as he did.

"Hmph. No, I'm only looking. I don't think I'll buy anything that could have been touched by _that_" the unpleasant woman said, her voice filled with poison as she placed disgusted, venomous green eyes upon the silver haired man.

"Excuse me, miss, but we don't want any trouble, so if that's the only thing you're looking for, I'll ask you to leave immediately" the half-Cetra spat, putting a hand on her hip as her own green orbs threw daggers at the other woman.

"Oh yes, I'm going to do just that. Being next to a tainted Cetra like you makes me sick"

"What? How can you say something like that? You should be ashamed!" Aerith thundered, ignoring the triumphant smile that drew itself on the annoying woman's lips.

But, she did not bother to answer as she headed straight to the door and left, leaving Aerith with clenched fists and a raging heartbeat.

"Don't let her words get to you. She's such a pain…everyone knows she's jealous of you" a consumer suddenly spoke, placing a gentle hand on Aerith's shoulder.

"Yes…you're right" the brunette sighed, forcing herself to relax as she gave a small smile to the woman next to her, wondering how could some people be so mean, without having any real reason to be.

As for Sephiroth, he simply shrugged, telling himself that he would have been more than happy if he had the chance to get her out of the shop by himself. Then, his eyes unconsciously traveled to his Masamune, which was waiting faithfully, resting against the wall next to him. Oh, how good, it would have felt to wet his blade with the crimson life of this unworthy woman… … Yes, it would have been pleasant, indeed…

Lost in his own dark thoughts, Sephiroth only came back to reality when he felt his lips curling in a slight, mischievous smile as images of blood and sticky leather flowed through his mind. Shaking his head slightly to get rid of those unwanted, yet endearing visions, the silver haired man took a deep breath to compose himself and force his concentration back to work, unaware of Aerith's concerned stare.

But, no matter how much he wanted to forget this little incident, Sephiroth could not help but to reflect about his past life, realising that, only a few months ago, he would have killed her the moment she dared to look at him, without even thinking twice or feeling a tiny bit of remorse. Those thoughts made him realise how long it had been since he last killed someone, or even _wanted_ to wet his blade. Somehow, the single moment when he had felt his blood boil with burning anger and thirst for liquid death, had made him feel powerful again, awakening the man he truly was, sleeping somewhere inside him. But, at the same time, now that his mind was cold and calm anew, he never wanted to feel that thirst again.

"Sephiroth…are you okay? …Please, don't mind her. You know how much I love you…" Aerith suddenly asked as she had, somehow, appeared by his side and was now speaking to him in a gentle, almost inaudible voice.

"Don't worry" he simply answered, his tone cold and indifferent.

Then, he raised a his eyes to meet hers, his heart skipping a beat as he read the undying love burning through her precious emeralds.

'…No. I was able to live without having to kill anyone, I'm not going to let myself fall for it anymore. Not as long as she'll be here' he told himself in the back of his mind, not wanting to see her cry ever again.

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**A/N: Don't forget to review! **


	26. Hiding

**A/N : Sorry for the eternal wait! ****But I have so many things to do…Since the last update, I got myself a boyfriend (after a lot of thinking and wondering…), I also have a hard time with my JavaScript course, so I don't have much time to write, or even to think about the story. So, forgive me, I hope you're still following the story even if it takes me a while to write it. I'm currently making a website, and it's taking a hell of a lot of work, but when it's finished, I'll put the link on my profile.**

**So, I hope you have a good read!**

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Last Chapter…

Then, he raised his eyes to meet hers, his heart skipping a beat as he read the undying love burning through her precious emeralds.

'…No. I was able to live without having to kill anyone, I'm not going to let myself fall for it anymore. Not as long as she'll be here' he told himself in the back of his mind, not wanting to see her cry ever again.

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Later…

Lying under the light, pure white covers as he slept next to Aerith, an arm curled around her slim, delightfully curved hips, Sephiroth let out a small sigh, inaudible even in the slumbering silence of the night. Sometimes, his eyes moved under the whiteness of his eyelids as a dream invaded his troubled mind.

As he dreamt, Aerith blinked her eyes open as the countless thoughts running through her mind prevented her from getting a single moment of well deserved sleep. Sighing in slight annoyance, she turned to face Sephiroth, frowning as her tender, dark green eyes laid upon his moonlight drenched figure. Simply by looking at his pale, menacing features, she knew that he was having a bad dream. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that behind his closed eyelids played a disturbing nightmare.

'I can't imagine Sephiroth having a nightmare' the young woman thought to herself, a slight, amused smile touching her tender lips.

Then, she took his hand in hers, enjoying the warmth of his skin against her as she admired his unmoving frame, bewitched by his unearthly perfection. After all the days she spent living with him, without being away from him for a single day, she still loved him with all her heart, looking at him like he was god himself…or maybe, the image of the devil, a being of pure, indestructible beauty and power. But, even in blindness of love, she knew that he was not as perfect as her eyes saw him.

'…Maybe he _can_ have nightmares, after all' she reflected, her smile growing a little wider as she snuggled closer to him, placing her cheek against his bare chest.

Letting out a contented sigh, she closed her eyes softly, breathing the scent of him as she felt her body relax against his, listening to the soft sound of his breath, a regular, soothing melody that she tried to follow, doing her best to synchronize her own breathing with his. Calmed by the idea that maybe, if she followed him to the land of dreams, she could soothe his mind away from nightmare's grasp and join him in a peaceful slumber, Aerith soon felt her mind slip away from reality and into sleep's arms.

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Meanwhile…

As Aerith peacefully drifted off to sleep, Adoria turned under her own covers for the hundredth time that night, sighing heavily in evident annoyance as she roughly placed a hand on her forehead in a vain attempt to chase the memories of the previous day from her troubled mind. Just as she had told Sephiroth and Aerith, she left them to go ask her superior about the cure he found. But, the things he told her did not please her at all…

'How could he do that!' her mind screamed inside her tired brain as she remembered his words, again and again.

In fact, after getting tired of searching without seeing the end of the tunnel, the doctor had taken the first solution that crossed his mind, something she had already thought about…and knew would never work.

"_I isolated the cells that made Sephiroth immune to the virus and created the cure…"_ the doctor had told her, not finishing his sentence as her face had suddenly become red with blinding fury.

Letting out an angry roar as she rose to a sitting position, frustrated by the memory, Adoria took her head between her delicate, yet strong hands, closing her eyes tightly to control her own anxiety.

'Gods, I truly hope this is not going to make things worse…What if this injection strengthens the virus instead of weakening it? …Normally, when a disease is not treated correctly, it can come back in full force once it regains all of its power…' the scientist thought desperately, taking a deep, shaky breath.

'…No wonder he didn't tell anyone that he was going to try something…I would have stopped him…' she mentally added, remembering the accusations she had shouted at him right after he had explained everything to her.

But, as she was pouring all her wrath on his guilty being, he tried to defend himself by telling her a truth she did not want to hear…

"_But you know there is no other way! …That virus is not like any other we have seen before…maybe this will work. I thought I might give it a try, instead of patiently waiting for the patient's deaths!"_

Letting her hands fall dully on her lap as the words resonated between her temples, Adoria opened sad, dark sapphire eyes, her face betraying her troubled thoughts.

'He's….No! He's not right…I'm sure I would have been able to find a real cure…' she tried to convince herself, knowing she would not be able to close a single eye for the entire night.

-------------------

The next morning…

Sephiroth awoke as soon as the sunrays pierced through the curtains of Aerith's bedroom, bathing them in a white, warm light as the day slowly arose. All night, he had dreamt of Nibelheim, seeing the faces of the villagers he had killed, almost feeling the warmth of their blood against his cold skin and hearing the sharp sound of Masamune slicing through tender flesh with a single flick of his wrist. All night, those images never left his mind, troubling his slumber. But, as he awoke under the golden sun, his arms wrapped around a sleeping Aerith, he felt totally at peace, not at all bothered by the now fading memories of his dream. He did not feel a single trace of guilt, not even for a second, and that did not surprise him at all.

'Hmph…why did I dream about it?' he wondered, only to chase the thought away a moment later as he laid eyes on his lover's peaceful visage, bathed by the shining sun.

Then, his slumbering flower's eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing tender emeralds as a sleepy, cute little smile drew itself on her tired lips. Each morning, she gave him that same smile, each time she laid eyes on him for the first time in a day.

"Hey there, sleepy smile…" he teased, pulling her a little closer to his body.

"…What?" she giggled, blinking in confused amusement.

"You always have this smile when you wake up…"

"It's because…you're the first thing I see" she teased, her eyes sparkling with something mischievous as she slid her arms around his shoulders.

"Hmm…" the silver haired man purred before lowering himself to capture her lips in a passionate kiss, to which she gladly responded.

A moment later, when he finally released her lips to reach her neck and cover it with moist, greedy kisses, Aerith took a look at the clock, struggling slightly against him as she noticed that they had to open Tenzen's shop in an hour.

"Stop, Seph…we have to prepare for work…" she breathed, not really wanting to make him stop.

"Hmph" was his only answer as he ignored her protests, as he knew she would soon give up and melt under him, docile as a purring kitty. Already, Nibelheim and its inhabitants were far, far away from his mind and still, no guilt had ever touched his tainted soul.

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Later…

Feeling completely zombified after her tormented, sleepless night, Adoria entered Tenzen's hospital bedroom, trying to stay completely cold and detached as she acted as if she never remarked his position, laying on his back, his hands beneath his head, wearing nothing else than a pair of black pants. But, it would have been hard for any women, even she, not to stare at a well built, half naked man lying before their eyes. So, she could not help but to let her eyes fall to his unhidden chest, if only for a second, but long enough for him to notice it.

'Hmph…pathetic' she reprimanded herself, approaching him as she got ready to examine his now almost healed wounds, just as her superior asked her.

"What brings you here?" the young man asked, rising to a sitting position as she reached his side.

"I need to do some tests on you, just to see if you are still contagious, and to…decide if you can leave soon or not" Adoria answered, trying to sound cold and uninterested, while she tried her best to suppress her nausea at the idea of lying so openly to a man she once considered as a true friend.

Of course, if it was only her decision, she would tell him to return in the quarantine rooms and stay there until she was a thousand percents certain that the virus was really destroyed, but she was not the one in charge and had to do just as she was told. But, of course, a part of her wanted to believe that everything would be alright, and she did not want to destroy anyone's hopes.

"Oh, I see. I'm not important, though. You should take care of Kita first" the man added.

"Your health is better than hers. So the tests will wait until she can endure them"

"Oh…of course…" Tenzen sighed.

On that note, Adoria took her stethoscope and gave instructions to Tenzen in a mechanical voice, like someone who did not care and had told the same thing to hundreds of people before him. But, inside her mind, things were different, even if her actions did not show it.

'…Maybe the doctor sent me because he hoped I would tell him the truth…After what I told him yesterday, there's no way he does not feel guilty…' she wondered, still keeping her cold appearance.

But, even if she was lost in her won world, Adoria did not fail to notice Tenzen's intense stare burning through her whole being as he was following each of her movements with his deep cerulean eyes, making her feel uneasy, as she knew he was searching for something, an answer, maybe…

0o0o0o0o0

The examination lasted almost half an hour, and Adoria repressed the need to let out a heavy, relieved sigh as she could finally take her things and leave the room to go far, far away from Tenzen. But, just as she was about to reach the door, she was stopped in her tracks as a strong arm grabbed her by the shoulder, inciting her to turn around and face Tenzen.

"What?" she spat, getting frustrated.

"…Why do you avoid me?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

"I'm not" the young woman lied, trying her best to hold his eyes with her own without faltering.

"Oh yes you are. Just about now, you were ready to leave without giving me a single goodbye…and only a year ago, I considered you as a friend…a friend I loved like no one else before" Tenzen replied, raising his voice without really noticing it.

On that note, Adoria's sapphire orbs melted under a wave of unhidden sadness as she turned her gaze away, unable to believe he had finally told her the truth, unable to face the fact that he had never forgiven her when she broke their friendship without a single explanation.

"Tell me, Adoria…I only want to know why, without a single reason, you suddenly stopped talking to me. I'll leave you alone once you explain it" he demanded, his voice softening as he spoke.

"…You fell in love with me. I felt it, and I ran away. That's all…you did nothing to deserve it, I know…the only problem is me" she said after a slight hesitation, shrugging her shoulder away from his grasp and turning her back on him.

Then, silence fell upon them as Tenzen took a moment to let the words sink in.

'This is just as I thought…' he told himself in the back of his mind, knowing he should have asked her sooner than this.

"I'm sorry Tenzen. I never wanted to hurt you" the raven haired woman added in a whisper.

Feeling a small smile draw itself on his lips, Tenzen approached her carefully as she turned to face him.

"Tell me you never loved me" he then asked, plunging his eyes in hers.

"I…" she began, unable to finish as she knew her next words would be a lie.

No matter how hard she wanted to tell him she never felt anything for him, she knew it was not the case. She had fled to protect herself from loosing someone once again, from loving a person she knew could disappear and leave her to her own despair. Someone who could destroy the tiny sparkles in her soul that were still alive.

"…You have to forget your ex, Adoria. If you don't…_that_ is what's going to destroy you" Tenzen declared firmly, knowing he had touched a sensible spot.

"Don't worry though…I don't love you anymore. So you don't have to flee me like you did before" the man added after a second, noticing she was not going to say anything.

On that note, Adoria turned on her heels and left the room swiftly, wondering how she would be able to survive through such a hellish day.

-------------------

Meanwhile, Aerith and Sephiroth were working in Tenzen's shop, both hoping that the annoying woman from the day before would not dare to show her face. In fact, Sephiroth couldn't stop thinking about her, unable to believe he had let her leave unharmed. If he saw her again, he was afraid of what he would do. Never before did he let anyone treat him that way. The more he thought about it, the more he realised how satisfying it would be to see her blood on his silver blade. But, to everyone's relief, she never came back, and Sephiroth did nothing to let his dark thoughts show, as he did not want Aerith to notice his thirst for blood. Surely, this would hurt her…

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	27. Silver rain

**A/N: Here's a new chapter. I like it better than the last few ones, the story is taking an important turn…not much left. But, I would like to thank everyone who kept reviewing, you're the reason why my inspiration is back! I love you all (lol). Well, on with the fic! **

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Last Chapter

Never before did he let anyone treat him that way. The more he thought about it, the more he realised how satisfying it would be to see her blood on his silver blade. But, to everyone's relief, the annoying consumer never came back, and Sephiroth did nothing to let his dark thoughts show, as he did not want Aerith to notice his thirst for blood. Surely, this would hurt her…

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A week later…

On a cloudy day, Aerith and Sephiroth went to the movie theatre and took place in the middle seats, glad to notice that not many people filled the room, since the movie was available for a few weeks already. As the movie began, Aerith took advantage of the darkness flowing through the room to snuggle against Sephiroth's side, smiling contentedly as he slid his muscled arm around her frails shoulders. Somehow, as he held her in a darkened, almost empty room filled with loud, aggressive sounds, Sephiroth felt as if he was, at the same time, a protector and a danger for the unsuspecting flower girl.

Then, as if his fingers had a mind of their own, he let his hand fall down the length of her shoulder to reach her abdomen, a strange, almost thrilling chill running down his spine as his fingertips trailed a fine line along her belly, tracing the exact same place were a hideous scar should, normally, spoil her flawless skin. But, thanks to this land's unnatural atmosphere, there was no trace left on her to remind them of their previous fates.

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Meanwhile, Kitakaze was sitting by her bedroom's window, looking at the city, now dulled by dark skies and heavy raindrops hammering on the muddy ground. Getting bored in front of such a sight, she let out a heavy sigh, regretting to have refused Aerith's offer to go watch a movie with her and the silver haired man. Not that she did not want to go in the first place, though. She only refused because she thought it would be best not to intrude in their romantic moments.

'Gods, I finally got out of the hospital and I can't find anything to do. It's so dull…' she thought, sighing again as she took a look at her watch, realising she had been sitting in the same position for almost half an hour.

As for Tenzen, he had closed the shop for the day and went home to play video games with his long lost friend. After the speech he had given her, Adoria realised how she had been wrong, and how she excluded herself away from everyone who had loved her. So, a day ago, she had gathered all of her courage and asked him to forgive her. So, now, they were talking to each other again, and Kitakaze could not deny how jealous she was.

'I should have known this was going to happen. It is so obvious that I am nothing more than a simple friend for him, and Adoria is so beautiful…' the young girl thought, brushing a few strands of dark hair away from her tired eyes.

But, even as she tried to forget him and move on, a part of her still believed that, maybe, Tenzen and Adoria were nothing more than friends, and hoped that she still had a chance, no matter how slight it was.

---------------

A while later, Aerith and Sephiroth left the movie theatre, Sephiroth's hand resting on the flower girl's hip as they walked, frowning under the liquid assault spilled by the shadowed heavens.

"Gods, it's a deluge!" Aerith exclaimed, giggling a little as she tried to make fun of the annoying situation.

"At least, the streets are empty" Sephiroth calmly replied.

"You like that, hm? Everyone is hidden in their own little house, away from your anti-social sight" the brunette teased, poking him in the ribs.

But, just as he was about to reply, a loud thunderbolt cracked through the sky, illuminating their drenched faces for a split second as Aerith's heart skipped a beat.

"Seph…please…let's go home" she asked in a small voice, clinging to him as the thunder's roar finally came to an end.

"Alright"

Swallowing hard as they began walking faster, Aerith blinked away the salty rivers running down her eyelids, trying to regain some of her vision. Soon enough, her hair and clothes were completely drenched, sticking to her like a second skin. Then, another thunderclap rang through the air, making her jump right out of her skin, to Sephiroth's amusement. Once again, he felt like he could use his strength to protect her, or play around with her little fears. Smirking, he thought that doing both could be interesting…

So, just as the thought crossed his mind, his reptilian eyes fell upon the dense forest standing a few feet behind their house, whipped by thunder and silver rain.

"Come" he suddenly ordered, taking the flower girl's frail, cold hand in his own powerful ones, inciting her to follow him.

"What? …Hey, where are you going?" Aerith asked in a slightly trembling voice as they passed by their house and were obviously not going to stop.

Worried by the fright tainting her sweet voice, Sephiroth slowed his pace a little, turning around to look at her as he brought her closer to him.

"Don't worry…I just want to take a walk in the woods…" he told her as gently as he could.

"No…! Stop it, Sephiroth! …We could be crushed by thunder! It's dangerous…" the drenched girl protested, trying to free her hand from his strong grasp as an image of a huge tree falling on top of their hopeless carcasses flew through her mind.

Getting slightly annoyed by her useless struggles, the silver haired man stopped dead in his tracks, turning around to face her completely, plunging his dark, reptilian eyes in her terrified emeralds, sliding his hand around her back to gently press her small frame against his chest.

"_I_ can protect you from anything…even thunder. Do you not trust me?" he whispered against her neck, letting each word flow smoothly from his lips, his breath gently teasing her frozen skin.

Bewitched by his velvet voice, she let her body relax against his, closing her eyes softly as, suddenly, the rain did not seem to be so cold anymore. Then, sensing that her fright was slowly being replaced by trust, Sephiroth smirked slightly, placing small kisses against her skin, tasting the saltiness of the cold rain lingering on his lips. Inhaling a contented sigh as she now thought that rainy days were, after all, not so bad, Aerith leaned against him, smiling dreamily as her heart increased its pace.

"I love you, Seph…" she whispered, sliding her arms around his shoulders as they stayed there, unmoving, for a few moments before he finally broke their tender embrace.

"So do I. Now, come…"

On that note, they resumed their walk and headed for the forest, Aerith's apprehension slowly making it's way back in her soul with each step. But, somehow, Sephiroth was sensing her trouble and Aerith knew he found it rather thrilling.

'Sometimes, these days…he...frightens me' she thought, trying not to jump as another flash of lightning ripped the sky apart.

---------------

Sitting at the exact same place than she had an hour ago, Kitakaze dully observed the silhouettes of Aerith and Sephiroth, lovingly holding each other, totally ignoring the heavy rain as if, in their little world, it did not exist.

'Love is a wonderful thing…' the girl thought, smiling sadly as she wished she could be like her sister and have all the beauty, all the affection she could possibly want.

'Well, at least…if Tenzen loves Adoria…I…I hope this time, he will be happy…'

Sighing as she wondered how pathetic she looked like, Kitakaze lowered her chocolate eyes to her forearms, feeling totally empty inside as she took on the sight of her bruised skin.

'…I guess it never really went away in the first place…' she reflected, knowing that, soon enough, she would have to go back to the hospital.

But, even if it was dangerous, she would hide her sickness for as long as she could, just to be free a little longer.

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In the wood, Aerith followed her lover without a word, trying to forget the fact that she was way too cold to think about anything else than the warmth of a fluffy blanket. Soon enough, they went to the other side of the forest and reached a huge, breathtaking waterfall. But, no matter how pretty the sight was, the brunette had more than enough.

"Seph, I want to go home, I'm freezing" she complained.

"Hmph…"

Then, an overwhelming wave of comforting warmth flew through her whole being, chasing away the annoying chills running through her body. Amazed, she raised her impressed eyes to meet his glowing orbs, unable to believe just how much he could surprise her.

"How did you…" she began.

"I found out I can still produce magic, with only the strength of my mind. I have no need of Jenova, nor materia…" the silver haired man proudly answered, noticing the flicker of worry passing through Aerith's dark emeralds.

But, Sephiroth decided to ignore it and raised his eyes to the sky, contemplating the inviting, gloomy clouds.

"I wonder if I can still fly" he suddenly declared, turning once again to face her, a dark smile drawing itself on his lips.

Not daring to answer, Aerith unconsciously took a step back, swallowing the lump in her throat as she contemplated the man from her darkest memories, the great General Sephiroth…

But, somehow, in the glowing depths of his Mako eyes, she recognized the man she loved from the bottom of her heart, the one she trusted with her life.

Unable to decide which one was currently standing before her like a majestic, unholy being, the flower girl stayed completely silent, listening to her own heart, violently thundering against her ribcage. Then, before she had time to do or say anything, Sephiroth's gloved hand took a firm hold of her own, and in a split second she was locked in his arms, letting out a strangled cry as her feet swiftly left the hard ground to meet nothing more than never-ending emptiness.

"Sephiroth, no!" the brunette exclaimed, burying her frightened visage against her lover's cold chest, wondering what was going on in his mind.

"Calm down, flower…Didn't I promise to protect you?" he whispered in her ear, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"Sephiroth…what's happening to you?" Aerith dared to ask, trembling slightly as he gently grabbed her chin to make her look at him.

"…I only want you to see wonders you've never witnessed before"

On that note, Sephiroth turned to the horizon, inciting her to watch the world spreading before them like a darkened Eden.

"Oh my…" the brunette breathed as she let her eyes drink on the most beautiful sight she had ever got the chance to look upon.

Then, at this exact moment, Aerith realised that, even if Sephiroth acted strange, never before did he amaze her that much. Somehow, this thrilled her, but a part of her could not help but to be reminded of the Sephiroth she knew before, the fallen seraph…a man whose heart was filled with darkness.

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The next day…

Waking up under the glowing rays of the rising sun, Aerith smiled contentedly as she lazily stretched, rolling to her side, whishing to hold the man of her dreams. But, to her disappointment, her pale arms did not meet warm skin, but only a soft pillow. Frowning, she opened sleepy eyes, realising that Sephiroth had already left the room. Wondering where he could be, she got to her feet and went to the window, smiling as she saw him in the backyard, doing a series of katas with his gigantic sword. Of course, she could not help but to stare a little at his bare, sweat covered muscles as he moved gracefully. Next to him was sitting Kitakaze, polishing her daggers as she shared a few words with the silver haired man.

"It's been a while since he took his sword…" Aerith whispered to herself, still wondering why, since the last few days, he seemed to regain his old habits… and a little of his mysteries.

But Aerith had no time to reflect about it as her sister left Sephiroth's side and entered the house, then climbed the stairs.

"Hi, Kita!" Aerith greeted as the girl entered the room, but her smile faded as she saw the dark expression shadowing her sister's visage.

"Hi. I have to work today… so I'll be going. Tenzen must be waiting for me…"

"Oh, I see…"

"But…I want you to know…there's something wrong with Sephiroth. I…feel it." Kitakaze suddenly declared.

"What do you mean?" Aerith exclaimed, getting worried.

"I don't know…well, forget it. Maybe my senses are getting messy" the other girl nervously replied, unconsciously rubbing her forearms, carefully hidden under a black, long sleeved shirt.

Then, without waiting for her sister to have a chance to reply, Kitakaze swiftly left the room, mentally preparing herself to spend another day next to a man she would always love, and never have.

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**A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't too weird for you. Well, the next update should be fast because my freedom AND inspiration are both back. It was about time lol. Well, until next time !**


	28. Spider & the Fly

**A/N: ****Here's an update. I hope you'll like it, as it was inspired by my favourite song "Spider & the Fly" By London After Midnight. The best song in the world! (At least, in my opinion). **

**Have a good read!**

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Last chapter…

"But…I want you to know…there's something wrong with Sephiroth. I…feel it." Kitakaze suddenly declared.

"What do you mean?" Aerith exclaimed, getting worried.

"I don't know…well, forget it. Maybe my senses are getting messy" the other girl nervously replied, unconsciously rubbing her forearms, carefully hidden under a black, long sleeved shirt.

Then, without waiting for her sister to have a chance to reply, Kitakaze swiftly left the room, mentally preparing herself to spend another day next to a man she would always love, and never have.

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A few days later…

Lying under her covers, looking at the moon glowing through the light curtains flowing from the closed window, Aerith let out a small sigh as Sephiroth twitched and turned under the blankets for the hundredth time since the last hour, keeping her awake. Obviously, his subconscious was battling some evil dreams…just like every night since almost two weeks, and Aerith couldn't help but to worry even more with each passing day.

When the star lit the shadowed heavens, she went to bed alone, and awoke in the middle of the night, ripped out of her slumber by a strong body struggling next to her as Sephiroth seemed to be lost in dreams rather unpleasant. But, he never stayed in bed for very long, leaving the house when the moon was still up among the glowing stars, never coming back until morning. In fact, his nights were practically devoid of any rest.

'What's happening to him…only two weeks ago he was acting normally, and now this…' the brunette thought, daring to turn around and face him, only to meet a pair of glowing reptilian eyes staring straight back at her.

Obviously, he had woken up in the spilt second it took for her to move, and, illuminated by the moonlight, his eyes seemed to glow with an icy flame, chilling the blood flowing through her veins. Then, without saying a word, he rose to a sitting position, readying himself to leave as he continually did. But, this time, a firm yet gentle hand took hold of his bare shoulder, inciting him to stay still and turn his attention back to Aerith.

"Where are you going?" she asked, looking at him with worried, almost pleading eyes.

"…I want to take a walk outside. I'm not tired, and my presence keeps you awake" the silver haired man answered flatly.

"Seph…" she sighed, unable to find the words she wanted to say as he gracefully slid away from her grasp to put his leather clothes on and finally, leave.

Swallowing the lump in her throat as she heard the front door close gently, Aerith stayed perfectly still, feeling her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach as she finally found the words to express her feelings.

"Don't leave me…" she whispered to the silent shadows, knowing she would not be able to find sleep for the rest of the night.

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The next morning…

Sitting by a small fountain next to the waterfall, Aerith and Kitakaze lazily talked under the shy, yet gentle sun trying to pierce through the thick autumn clouds. Both girls were wearing a sweatshirt to keep them warm as they sat on a small bench surrounded by thousands of brightly coloured leaves falling from the sleeping trees.

"I'm worried" Aerith suddenly declared, letting her eyes fall on the forest standing far behind.

"Why?" her sister demanded, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"I've been thinking about what you said the other day, about Sephiroth… You know… I feel the same way…he is acting strange"

"What do you mean?"

"He does not sleep at night. No more than one or two hours, at least, and when he does fall asleep, he seems to be having nightmares…He keeps twitching and turning" Aerith explained, lowering her eyes to the ground.

"Hm…did you talk to him? About those nightmares? Maybe you're just being a little paranoid" Kitakaze proposed.

"No, I did not dare talk about it, and he seems to close his mind away from me. He does not talk much, not anymore, and he spends all day hidden in the forest…I'm afraid he might want to leave…Maybe he wants to go back to our home planet and have his previous life back, that would explain why he is always there."

"I see…"

"He's almost never home, now. I think… somehow, there's a dark part of him that never died…" Aerith continued, nervously playing with a lock of curled hair.

"But, it is strange…it only seems to fuel my feelings…And I feel like he is deserting me…I love him so much, it's unbearable…" the flower girl then admitted, feeling her heart melt as she thought about the rare moments she could spend with him.

"Yeah, dark men are always sexy" Kitakaze giggled before giving a small nudge to her sister, smiling mischievously.

"And yours is the sexiest" she added, forcing an amused laugh out of Aerith as none of them could deny this fact.

Then, once they were both serious again, Kitakaze placed her eyes upon the forest, concentrating as she tried to scan Sephiroth's presence. It took her only a few moments to realize that he was, indeed, in the woods, and he seemed to be quite at peace with himself. Realising what her sister was doing, Aerith's eyes glowed with interrogations.

"Is he there?" Aerith asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. But, you know…maybe I was mistaken, when I said something is wrong with him. I guess…somewhere along the way, he lost himself and wasn't too sure of who he was anymore. Maybe, now, he's close to finding his own answers. He's not an ordinary guy, neither a killer now. I'm sure, with a little help and time, he'll find the grey side between the black and the white" Kitakaze wisely explained, smiling gently as she was comforted by the hope spreading through her sister's eyes as she spoke.

"You're right…" the flower girl declared, a contented smile spreading on her lips as the logic of her sister's words sunk into her mind.

"So, all you need to do is to stop wondering and speak to him. Also, I may know a way to get his mind off of this damned forest"

"Really? How?" Aerith wondered, getting interested.

"You'll see. All you have to do is replace me at work tomorrow"

"Deal"

"Good. Now, go and find him, Tenzen is waiting for me"

On that note, the two sisters hugged each other briefly before going their own way.

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A few moments later, Aerith made her way through the wood, trying to find Sephiroth. When she finally found him, he was sitting next to a small campfire, trying to make food for himself.

"Be careful, you could burn the entire forest" the brunette giggled as she approached him.

"I still know how to use magic, I'm not a fool" the silver haired man answered coldly.

"That's not what I meant, it was only a joke" Aerith sighed, shaking her head in an exasperated manner before sitting next to him, making a face as her bottom met the cold, damp dirt.

Then, silence fell upon them for a few moments as Aerith nervously tried to find something, anything to say.

"Hm…why didn't you come home for dinner instead of staying here? I mean…I could have prepared something for us both" she finally asked, wondering why he made her so nervous.

Her question awarded her a raised eyebrow and a questioning glance from Sephiroth, who finally turned his attention away from the campfire.

"Well…I…" Aerith stammered, turning her gaze away from his as she felt annoyed at herself for not being able to produce any intelligible sentence.

"I don't need you to baby-sit me" the silver haired man declared in a neutral, emotionless tone, striking straight at Aerith's heart.

"…Forgive me…I…I only wanted to see you…to be with you…These days, you seem to hide from me and I…I miss you so much…" the flower girl admitted, turning her head to the other side as she tried to hide the sorrow lingering in her emerald depths, glad that her loose hair hid part of her face.

Trying not to be slightly moved by how fragile she was, Sephiroth looked at her for a few moments, seconds which lasted an eternity for Aerith. There, sitting on the cold ground like an abandoned child, shivering slightly under the fresh wind's assault, she reminded him of the day she died, when she took a few moments to rest in the sleeping forest. Standing above her, hidden in the holy foliage of a blessed tree, he had observed her, prying through her private thoughts as she made contact with Cloud, warning him of her fate. He remembered finding her absolutely breathtaking, feeling a slight irony flow through his unholy spirit as he knew he would never falter in his task, no matter how sweet and endearing she looked…

But now, as those memories invaded his calm thoughts, he realized that even after all of this, even after silver death had broken her warm body, he was sitting before her, allowed to capture her in his arms and make her his. Just as much as she would have struggled if he had tried to claim her back then, she was now _asking_ for it. Smiling darkly as the thought crossed his mind, he approached her carefully and bent on one knee in front of her, gently taking hold of her chin to make her look straight at him.

"What do you want from me?" he then asked softly, wishing she would give him an honest and direct answer.

But, as the unexpected question rather took the flower girl by surprise, she stayed silent for a few moments, reflecting about the dearest wishes buried deep inside her maiden heart.

"I want…you, nothing else…" she finally declared, feeling a wave of blissful relief wash through her entirety as a bewitching smile drew itself on her lover's lips.

She was _his_, entirely.

"That, you already have…" he whispered before gently taking her in his arms and capturing her lips in a warm kiss filled with burning passion.

"Seph…don't leave me…" Aerith breathed when he finally broke the kiss, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she encircled his shoulders with her pale arms, already forgetting the interrogations that previously invaded her worried mind.

Since the incident involving the spiteful woman at the shop, Sephiroth had slowly but surely became bored of his uneventful life in Radiant Garden, sometimes wishing he could find a way to regain some notoriety and power. Being enslaved by work like any normal person, mingled in the crowded streets and forgotten among the nobodies was a life he could not bear to endure. He was born a soldier and would never stray from this path, even if it meant to have a never-ending thirst for power and blood.

When that woman had dared treating him like dirt without even loosing her life in the process, Sephiroth realised he still needed to feel like he could rule every pitiful soul swarming around. But, no matter how lost and unsure he was about himself now, he knew one thing for certain. He did not want to loose Aerith, for she was a thing that made him feel like he had, in the end, regained part of his faded glory. With her, he felt like he stood above his own failures, by being loved by the very same woman who had defeated him, the same woman his bitter enemy loved.

Sometimes, he wondered if this wasn't the very reason why he loved her. Maybe a deadly soul like his could never feel passion, unless when fuelled by dark desires and selfish needs. But, no matter, he wanted her by his side, and would not accept her being anywhere else.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" he replied, smiling darkly as he read the longing buried through her lovely emeralds, a passion directed at him, and only him.

He then kissed her again, more intently, feeling as if she was completely at his mercy, free for him to possess, to engulf her frailty within his greedy darkness. A holy priestess stolen by silver rapture.

Soon enough, the small fire was completely forgotten and left to die by the lovers' side, it's crimson light diminishing dully as theirs only flamed with growing intensity. Now lying on the dirt with Sephiroth hovering half on top of her, Aerith felt like the uncomfortable ground was as soft and warm as a fluffy white cloud, never protesting when his bare hand found its way to her stomach. But, as his hand expertly caressed her feather-like skin, Sephiroth frowned slightly, feeling a strange, sticky substance dampening his fingers, a thick, warm liquid which reminded him of…

'Blood?'

Suddenly feeling as if he'd just taken an icy shower, Sephiroth lowered his gaze to Aerith's abdomen, his heart missing a beat as he saw a horrid, clean cut staining her skin, blood pouring from it mercilessly. Immediately jumping away from her, pale and breathless as if he'd just seen a ghost, Sephiroth wondered why Aerith did not show any sign of pain.

His heart thundering against his chest, the silver haired man swallowed hard, closing his eyes for a moment to control himself. But, when he dared to open them, he saw Aerith, now sitting and looking at him with dazed yet worried emeralds, wearing no wound, nor blood on any part of her anatomy.

"What's wrong?" the flower girl exclaimed, frightened by Sephiroth's behaviour, rubbing her forearms as her sweatshirt had been removed from her shoulders and thrown on the ground.

"I…it's nothing, forget it" the silver haired man breathed as he slowly regained a hold of himself, looking at his hands with confusion as they were both just as white and clean as Aerith's belly.

"Don't try to fool me, it's obvious that something just happened, for you to react this way" the brunette replied firmly.

Wondering how he would be able to explain such an absurdity to her, Sephiroth stayed silent for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"For a moment, I thought…I saw you bleed. A clean cut, just like the one I awarded you with, all those years ago"

Surprised and disturbed by his words, Aerith looked at him with frightened eyes as she stayed paralysed in place, unable to say or do anything. Then, she remembered his nightmares, knowing they had something to do with it.

"Sephiroth…I know you don't sleep anymore…you're plagued by unpleasant dreams, I've noticed…Are those dreams…about me?" she then asked carefully, swallowing hard as she dreaded the answer.

"…Sometimes" he answered after a slight hesitation, not willing to say anymore about it, at least, not now.

Holding her breath unconsciously as she let his words sink in, the brunette tried to hold her fears at bay, attempting to convince herself that nightmares were never reality, only morbid illusions. But, even so, she knew something had to be done to remove them from Sephiroth's mind.

"…Well…I guess you're too tired, your mind must be playing tricks on you. Everyone, even you, needs to get some rest. Promise me…you'll stay with me tonight" the flower girl asked after a few moments, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, hoping he would not turn her offer down.

"Hmph. I'll try"

Thinking that this was better than nothing, Aerith smiled sweetly as she grabbed her shirt, ready to head back home and take a warm, long shower before putting some clean clothes on. As for Sephiroth, he attempted to reanimate the lifeless campfire, hiding himself inside his own mind as Aerith's footsteps slowly faded away.

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	29. Crimson

**A/N: In this chapter, things begin to get cleared up. There wasn't much people who reviewed last chapter, I'm disappointed ********. But anyway, I hope you'll like this one!**

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Last chapter…

Thinking that this was better than nothing, Aerith smiled sweetly as she grabbed her shirt, ready to head back home and take a warm, long shower before putting some clean clothes on. As for Sephiroth, he resumed his previous actions, hiding himself inside his own mind as Aerith's footsteps slowly faded away.

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Once he finally finished eating and extinguished the remaining fire, Sephiroth went deeper in the wood, soon reaching the tree against which he had laid when he first entered this world, the exact same place where Aerith had found him. As he ventured around almost everyday now, he knew it's location by heart.

'There's not even a trace left of this holy portal from which I came…But, it is here, somewhere' the silver haired man thought in the back of his mind, letting his glowing eyes trail around the green world.

Even if he, somehow, felt compelled to reach this place, Sephiroth knew there was no way for him to unlock the secrets hidden deep in it's shadows. No matter how his heart desired to be reunited once again with the world he willingly left, there was no way for him to go back... unless…

'A Cetra could send me back to where I belong' Sephiroth reflected, sitting against the tree trunk.

Analysing the idea in his mind, Sephiroth closed his eyes and leaned his head against the trunk, letting images of the past flow through his mind. Images of Nibelheim, memories of Soldiers kneeling and begging under his murderous glare, sights of glowing Lifestream flowing around his spirit as he peered through the very core of a thousand souls…

Unconsciously, as those illusions soothed his mind, a satisfied smile curled at the corner of his lips, a feel of never-ending power warming his soul like a poisoned mist. Every night, he saw glimpses of his past, a taste of blood and steel.

Nightmares, it was how Aerith had called those nocturnal enchantments. Yes, he was never able to sleep much because of it, as a part of him was disturbed by those visions of death, but at the same time, they made him feel stronger, made him remember who he truly was.

His hands were stained with blood that would never be cleaned, tainting his skin and sliding through every pore, mingling with his own flesh, a sweet taste of poison ivy. The more he remembered, the more he realised how impossible it was for him to live this life any longer. He needed to immerge himself in blissful fights, feeling the harsh yet rejuvenating burn of adrenaline blazing through his veins, aware of nothing else than his own swift movements and the sounds of his enemies' defeats.

'Yes…this is what I long for…' he thought, letting his body relax.

Then, images of a young woman kneeling at an alter, her frail body savagely perforated by his own steel invaded his mind, and in a split second, Sephiroth's disturbed, glowing green eyes shot open, tainted by something close to horror. Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, the silver haired man placed a hand on his chest to calm his racing heart, his twisted mind slowly coming back to reality.

Of all the things he could remember from his previous life, _this_ was one memory he would never be able to bear. Because of it, he never found sleep. Because of it, he felt like working in a useless shop was something better than to crush the world's sickening foundations between his insatiable fingers. _She_ was the only sin he would no longer be able to find pleasure in.

'Aerith…'

Her name flowing from his lips in a quiet whisper, Sephiroth lowered his eyes to the ground, swallowing the lump in his throat as he knew that no matter the destruction and self-satisfaction he could muster if he left this world, he would never forget her, never be able to _accept_ her being away from him.

'…I could bring her with me' he thought, already knowing how foolish of an idea this was.

He did not even know if he would be able to ever reach his home planet again, it was utterly pointless to even think about involving someone else. But, life as it was now would never be enough for him. Somehow, he needed to make a choice.

---------------

Later…

Standing in front of her bedroom window, Aerith stared at the dark, star filled sky, smiling contentedly as she felt Sephiroth's chest against her back, his arms encircling her in a tender embrace. Just as he had promised, he was there, willing to stay by her side, even if he did not find sleep at all.

"The stars are nice tonight" she declared in a whisper.

"Hm…Have you ever wondered if we are viewing the same sky as the inhabitants of our former land?" the silver haired man demanded, as an idea began to form in the back of his mind.

"Well, yes. I…wonder all the time." The brunette answered, turning to face him, wishing to catch a glimpse of his expression, anything that could help her find the real meaning of his words.

"…You miss your friends, do you not?"

"Of course. I'll never forget them. But…it's all in the past. I'm over it now"

"Are you sure about that?" Sephiroth questioned, arching a sceptical, silver eyebrow.

"Yes" was the flower girl's firm and absolute answer.

"I see. So, you've decided to cast aside our home planet's existence, forever" the silver haired man wondered.

Knowing where he was going with all those questions, Aerith placed a hand on his chest, raising a pair of determined, yet sad emeralds to meet his piercing glance, formulating her reply without any hesitation.

"It's true that my old friends live on that planet. It's true that I was born there and died to protect this world I loved. But now, I no longer live for the same purposes, life on Gaia was never a pleasant experience, all I ever saw there was death, loneliness and suffering. In here, I can finally be at peace…I can finally live my life as I want it, with you. No matter the cost, I would never return there. Now, I belong here. My time on Gaia has expired."

Nodding his understanding, Sephiroth brought her closer to himself, placing his chin on top of her head just in time to see a bright, shining wishing star cross the night sky.

------------------

The next morning…

Groaning as the ringing of her alarm clock detonated between the walls of her tiny bedroom, Kitakaze slowly got out of bed, happy that she could wake up later than usual, since Aerith was taking her place as the shop, just like they had planned.

'But I still need to do something about Sephiroth' she reminded herself as her raging headache tried to convince her to stay hidden in the fluffy depths of her bed.

Getting to her feet, she immediately felt dizzy, putting a hand on her forehead and closing her eyes as she did her best to regain her balance.

She could no longer deny it; her sickness was still present, and it was even more virulent than before.

'I can't let it have the best of me…My sister needs me' the girl told herself, reaching her drawers and grabbing some clothes, deliberately avoiding to make eye contact with her disgustingly bruised arms.

Fortunately, it was rather chilly outside, so no one would ask questions if she wore long sleeved shirts.

So, once she was properly dressed, Kitakaze swiftly left home before her mother could notice her and immediately headed for the forest, knowing this was where she would find Sephiroth.

---------------

Meanwhile, Sephiroth was practicing his Katas, standing next to the huge trees gracing the forest, trying to ignore the fascinated glare of a little girl playing nearby. As soon as Aerith went out to work, the silver haired man had left the house after spending the whole night thinking about the words she told him. He knew now that he would never be able to leave this place with her by his side. But, even if she had wanted to go back, he knew that she would have never approved with his twisted plans of massive destruction, and would have stood against him once again. In those circumstances, he would have no choice but to slay her, just as he did back then.

'But I won't ever be able to do that again.' He admitted to himself, now fully aware of his weaknesses towards her and willing to accept it.

He loved her, and this was undeniable.

"_Now, I belong here. My time on Gaia has expired." _

Listening to the sharp sounds of Masamune slicing through thin air, Sephiroth remembered this single sentence, knowing perfectly what she meant by those words.

'For everyone on our Planet, we are legends that are long dead, and buried away forever. Of course, our actions back then will never allow us to become mere memories…Both she and I, in our own way, left permanent scars on that world…But our time there is past'

Clenching his jaw at those thoughts, Sephiroth slashed more intently at some invisible enemy, frustrated at what he knew was reality.

'If I have to stay here, then…I'll try to shape this land into the world I desire' the swordsman decided, his face suddenly lit by a twisted, slight smile.

Then, he was taken right out of his thoughts as a cheerful, familiar voice rang clearly from behind him, informing him of Kitakaze's presence. Wondering what she could possibly want from him, the silver haired man sheathed his weapon, turning around to face her.

"What do you want? He spat, not liking to get disturbed while practicing.

"Hello, Sephiroth. I'm bored, so I thought maybe you would accompany me to the mountains. I want to train" the girl declared, deciding to ignore his irritated tone.

"Train? Can't you see this is exactly what I was doing a moment ago?" Sephiroth groaned, knowing he should not be so rube, but unable to help it.

"Oh no, you got me wrong! I was talking about real fights, against disgusting monsters" the girl giggled, perfectly hiding the electrifying pain running through her whole body.

Looking at her somewhat suspiciously, Sephiroth let a glimpse of interest find its way through his mind.

"…I thought there was almost no monsters on this holy land" he replied.

"Oh, you're wrong. The mountains nearby are full of it, and when they, somehow, reach the city, things become really messy, so when people go there to have some training, no one complains…and I know you hunger for some…action"

"Hm…I guess I'll go with you, then. I hope your preys are enough of a challenge" the swordsman finally decided, approaching her to indicate he was ready to depart.

"Great! Follow me" Kitakaze beamed, suddenly flinching as she took the first step, hoping she would be able to even reach the mountains…

'But…if my body breaks down…I know he'll help me…At least, I hope so' she thought, going on ahead as he followed her, eyeing her with unhidden suspicion.

As they walked out of the city and trailed along a small river, Sephiroth didn't fail to notice that the girl's pace was getting slower as she occasionally flinched, looking as if she was about to collapse. Obviously, something was dangerously wrong with her.

"Are you sure you're in shape enough to go there?" the silver haired man asked, stopping on his tracks, unwilling to go any further.

"I…I'm sorry" Kitakaze breathed before suddenly falling to her knees, unable to resist any more.

Getting seriously worried, Sephiroth reached her side in a split second, eyes widening as he saw how sickly pale her face was.

"You're still infected. Why did you hide it?" the silver haired man exclaimed, catching her in his arms as she fell backwards.

"I wanted to…live my last moments among…the people I care about…I'm sorry, I guess…I won't be able to…accompany you…to the mountains…" Kitakaze managed to whimper, raising a pair of pain filled eyes to meet concerned Mako pools.

Cursing under his breath, Sephiroth tried to stay calm as Kitakaze's shirt was slowly dampened by a warm, crimson substance he knew all too well.

"You should have told someone" he thundered, wondering why he was getting so frustrated over it.

"You can't understand…I wanted to be useful, to aid you…but…I guess I can't help anyone now…" she struggled to say, a lone tear rolling from the corner of her eye.

"Stop talking" Sephiroth commended, immediately removing her sweat-shirt, glad that she was wearing a T-shirt underneath.

Then, as he laid her to the ground and placed his eyes on her now profusely bleeding, bruised skin, Sephiroth felt a wave of panic invading his whole being. Somehow, he had the sickening yet bewitching impression that even the air around them smelled like fresh blood.

Trying to collect his thoughts as Kitakaze slowly closed her chocolate eyes, Sephiroth noticed the trail of blood flowing from her body and right to the small river, infecting it with poisoned crimson.

'This water could infect the whole waterway…' the swordsman thought, suddenly forgetting about the girl's presence as a new idea formed in his mind.

Maybe, if the townspeople got infected…he could find a way to take advantage of the situation…

Then, as he reflected about it, looking at the bloody water, Kitakaze flinched as a convulsion ran through her broken body, bringing him right back to reality.

'Shit…what am I doing?' he reprimanded himself, immediately taking her in his arms and rising to his feet, making his way back to Radiant Garden, unsure of which feeling, horror or wonder, was the strongest inside him now.

But, for the first time, he was afraid. Afraid…of himself.

Trying to chase any kind of feelings and thoughts away from his mind, Sephiroth ran through the city under the horrified stares of the townspeople, holding Kitakaze's bleeding body. Completely ignoring them, he made his way through the crowded streets, bumping into a few persons who were not fast enough to clear the way in time. As he ran, he could almost _hear_ the disturbing sound of Kitakaze's blood falling to the marble ground in uncountable droplets, resonating through his mind as he blindly made his way to the hospital.

As soon as he entered the establishment, a nurse let out a surprised gasp, running to their side while her co-workers ran to find the doctor, or anyone able to handle such a case. Only a few seconds went by before Adoria and her superior came running, both wearing terrified looks upon their faces as they saw Kitakaze's body, covered with bloody gore.

"What happened?" Adoria screamed, panic written all over her figure.

"She's infected, and it seems she hid it quite well" Sephiroth explained, his tone back to it's usual neutrality.

"Take her to the operation rooms!" the doctor exclaimed, immediately leading the silver haired man to the rooms in question.

Once they reached their destination, Sephiroth laid Kitakaze's body on the white bed, which was immediately covered with crimson life.

"She will need a transfusion, or she'll die in less than an hour! Sephiroth, your blood type is universal, I will ask you to help her" Adoria declared, urgency tainting her voice.

"…All right" the silver haired man approved, following her to another room, readying himself for yet another series of annoying syringe pokes.

Meanwhile, a nurse left the hospital in a hurry, running to Tenzen's shop, knowing that now could be the last time Kitakaze's family would be able to see her.

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**A/N: I'm sorry to end the chapter like this, but I had to, if not this would have been one hell of a long chapter. So, read and review!**


	30. Bittersweet

**A/N: As promised, here's a quick update. Have a good read!**** Of, and thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter.**

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Last chapter…

"She will need a transfusion, or she'll die in less than an hour! Sephiroth, your blood type is universal, I will ask you to help her" Adoria declared, urgency tainting her voice.

"…All right" the silver haired man approved, following her to another room, readying himself for yet another series of annoying syringe pokes.

Meanwhile, a nurse left the hospital in a hurry, running to Tenzen's shop, knowing that now could be the last time Kitakaze's family would be able to see her.

---------------------

A few hours later, Aerith was sitting next to Sephiroth and Tenzen, Ifalna standing by their side, trying to ignore the fact that her daughter was buried in her former killer's arms, crying her heart out against his chest. Of course, she knew about their relationship, but between acknowledgement and acceptance, there was a fine line that she was definitely not ready to cross.

How could she love a man like him? …Of course, he seemed to have changed, but was it really possible for someone to change so much? She would only believe it once she saw an undeniable proof of it.

As for Tenzen, he was abnormally tense, his hands intertwined on his lap, looking to the floor with a devastated expression written all over his face. Not only his best friend was trapped between life and death behind the double doors standing nearby, but his own body, since some time now, had begun to show signs of infection as well. Sighing, he turned his attention to Sephiroth, who was slightly pale after giving a fair amount of blood to try and save Kitakaze's life. In his arms, Aerith was barely visible, as if she was trying to hide herself inside him and avoid facing reality. Kitakaze's blood was all over his clothes, but none of them seemed to care much.

Then, Adoria suddenly emerged from the operating room, removing her chirurgical mask and gloves as she headed their way, her pure white clothes covered with an aggressive shade of fresh crimson. As soon as she heard footsteps echoing between the lifeless walls surrounding them, Aerith jumped right out of Sephiroth's embrace, her pleading eyes immediately meeting Adoria's sapphire pools.

"How is she?" the brunette dared asking, joining her hands together as if in prayer.

"…We were able to stop the bleeding. Fortunately…the transfusion allowed us to save her from an inevitable death, but…if we don't find a cure, she…she can die at any moment" Adoria answered with some difficulty, trying not to give them too much hope.

"Oh gods…" Ifalna whispered, falling on a nearby chair.

"Adoria…you knew, did you not? You knew the cure he found was not the answer. You knew this would happen" Tenzen suddenly declared, hurt tainting his broken voice as he spoke.

Unable to bear any of their piercing glances, Adoria turned her eyes away, swallowing the lump in her throat as she fought back tears.

"…Yes, I knew. But somehow…I hoped it would work…I'm sorry if I decided to hide the truth from you…" the scientist admitted, ready to be yelled at.

But, to her surprise, Tenzen only nodded, giving her a sad smile as he understood her choice.

"It's alright, don't apologize. But…is she awake? I want to see her…I can't bear staying here, waiting…"

"Yes, you can see her…she is awake, but I don't know for how long."

"We all want to see her" Aerith declared.

"I know. You'll have to go one after another, or else it might take too much energy from her to see you all at once" Adoria explained.

Letting herself fall back on her chair, next to Sephiroth, Aerith nodded, deciding to let Tenzen see her first.

"Alright, follow me" Adoria demanded, motioning for Tenzen to come with her.

Then, before they both went to Kitakaze's room, Adoria turned to face Sephiroth, a bright smile drawing itself on her lips.

"We would have never been able to save her without you"

On that note, Aerith threw her arms around her lover's neck, breaking down in tears once again, whispering her love for him as Adoria lead Tenzen to Kitakaze's room.

0o0o0o0o0o

As Tenzen entered her room, Kitakaze's eyes shimmered with happiness following his every movement as he sat on a small chair next to her bed.

"How do you feel?" he asked, offering her a gentle smile.

"I feel fine"

"Good"

Smiling back at him as she stared right into his cerulean eyes, Kitakaze resisted the urge to reach out to him and touch his face, only to feel the warmth of his skin under her frozen fingers. But, as they looked in each other's eyes, silence fell upon them, making Tenzen feel rather uncomfortable as her chocolate irises seemed to pierce right through him.

"…What? Is there something on my face?" he asked, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, no. …You're handsome, that's all." Kitakaze answered, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"What?" Tenzen spat, wondering what kind of weird drug they had given her.

As for Adoria, she was standing in a corner of the room, smiling sweetly as she tried to hide herself as much as she could.

"You know, just before I fell unconscious, I took a very good look at Sephiroth's face. His glowing green eyes, his flawless skin…a fitting figure to be the last thing a girl ever sees" Kitakaze added, regaining a serious expression.

"But to be honest, your face was the only thing I wanted to see. I tried to picture your features over his…but to no avail. I'm glad I was able to wake up, if only to see you once again"

Unable to say or do anything, Tenzen stayed silent, an expression of slight surprise plastered on his face as he waited for her next words. Staying silent for a moment, Kitakaze took a deep breath, trying her best to keep eye contact with him.

"Tenzen, I…I love you"

Now, as he heard her sincere declaration, Tenzen could not help but to be struck by a blinding shock, unable to react as he never ever expected her to say anything like that to him. Not once did he have any doubts about her feelings for him; which he thought were nothing else than friendship. Looking at her wide eyed as she finally turned her eyes away from his, Tenzen realised he was holding his breath.

"You don't have to say anything. I already know what's on your mind and I don't care anymore. I just wanted you to know, I've loved you for a very long time, and…I still do. Now…if you don't mind…I wish to be alone with Adoria. I want to speak to her" the girl declared, taking a deep breath to prevent her courage from breaking in thousand little pieces.

Knowing he should say something, anything, but completely unable to, Tenzen rose to his feet and left the room, his heart thundering against his chest.

As soon as he was out of view, Adoria approached Kitakaze's bed, wondering what she could possibly want to tell her that was so important, thinking that, maybe she shouldn't have sent Tenzen away.

"Forgive me, Adoria. I don't want you to think I'm trying to steal your man" the girl declared.

"What are you talking about? Tenzen's not my man, and he'll never be" Adoria exclaimed, letting out a small laugh.

"Do you not love each other?" Kitakaze demanded, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"No, of course not. It's all in the past, and buried away so deeply that nothing will ever be able to bring the flame back to life. Besides, I was hoping you would finally tell him"

"Oh…you knew?" Kitakaze wondered, blushing slightly as she thought maybe Tenzen had realized it as well.

"Yes, I guessed it, but he never did"

Somehow relieved by Adoria's affirmation, Kitakaze let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding, thinking that, at least, his surprise was genuine. Then, Kitakaze remarked the blood staining Adoria's clothes, an expression of worry spreading all over her face.

"You're covered with blood…isn't it dangerous? I mean…I'm infected…"

"I know, and I don't care. I probably am infected now, as are the doctors who helped saving you"

"Oh my god…I'm so sorry!" Kitakaze exclaimed, putting a hand over her mouth in horror.

"Don't be. I've lived long enough. I'll find a cure, or else my existence won't have any meaning" Adoria declared firmly, her face betraying no emotions.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am. I'll find a real cure or I'll die with you"

Realizing how serious Adoria was, Kitakaze couldn't help but to be flattered by her words, finally understanding that she would never be alone in this mess. Sometimes, help and hope could come from someone you never expected.

Then, Adoria extended her hand to Kitakaze, giving her a friendly smile.

"I'll save you. You have my word"

Nodding, Kitakaze returned her smile and shook her hand, a feeling of happiness flowing through her whole being as she thought that, after all, no one considered her as a dangerous disease.

---------------------

Later…

As Aerith and her mother were visiting Kitakaze, Tenzen was nowhere to be found and Sephiroth wanted to leave with Aerith, so he headed to Adoria's laboratory, finding her dressed in her normal, black and red clothes, washing her hands. As soon as she saw him, she gave him a gentle smile, turning the water off before reaching his side.

"What can I do for you?"

"Adoria…if I had taken her here a few minutes later, would she have lived?" the silver haired man asked, to her greatest surprise.

"…No. I can say, even seconds were precious. You did well"

"Hmph…"

On that note, Sephiroth turned his eyes away, a strange shadow passing through his features.

"…What's wrong?" Adoria worried, taking a step towards him.

"She had a convulsion. That's why…" he began, unsure if he should say it or just stay quiet.

"What?" Adoria insisted, getting interested.

"That's why I hurried. I almost…"

"I know" the scientist spat, finally putting the pieces together, as she could feel the battle raging inside him.

Then, silence fell upon them for a few seconds before Sephiroth spoke again, plunging his glowing eyes in Adoria's dark orbs.

"When you look into my eyes, what do you see?"

Not willing to answer, the raven haired woman turned her eyes away, staying perfectly quiet.

"With your powers, maybe you're the only one who sees who I really am." He added, gently grabbing her arm to make her turn her attention back to him.

"Sephiroth…"

Somehow, since the moment she had given him credits for saving the girl's life, he had felt uneasy, guilt spreading through him like poison. For some reason, he was unable to forget the fact that he had almost let her die…

"…A monster, maybe. In reality, that's what you are, and I think everyone knows it. But…there's something much stronger inside you. The very same thing that made you save Kitakaze's life." Adoria finally answered.

"What do you mean?" Sephiroth wondered, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Sephiroth, I can't tell you how to live your life. You'll have to figure it out by yourself. Yes, you'll always be the man who killed thousands, but…this path is no longer the only road you can take. Your actions today have proven that"

"…I hope you're right"

"Of course I am…If I thought you to be nothing else than a rotten bastard, I wouldn't be here, talking with you…And I'm sure Aerith would have never loved you. You saved her. It's all that matters, and I'm still grateful to you."

Then, just as she finished her sentence, Aerith's voice resonated through the corridor, indicating that the visit was over. Giving him a genuine smile to indicate that this would stay between them, Adoria left the laboratory and joined Aerith, followed by Sephiroth. Somehow, after speaking the truth and listening to her words, he felt like a huge weigh had been removed from his shoulders.

--------------------

When nightfall finally covered the city with unyielding darkness, Tenzen entered Kitakaze's room, ready to spend the whole night by her side, sitting next to her bed without closing a single eye, just to be sure nothing would happen to her. He wanted to be the first person she saw when she woke up, if only to show her that he was still there for her. After leaving the room like he did a few hours ago, he couldn't help but to feel like a bastard, even if she was the one who asked him to leave.

Once he was installed on the small, hard and uncomfortable chair placed at her bedside, Tenzen laid his saddened cerulean eyes upon her sleeping face, relieved to see a tiny smile gracing her heart-shaped lips as she dreamt. By some miracle, her bruises had never reached her face, making her look like she was perfectly fine, lost in a peaceful slumber.

'What am I going to tell her, once she wakes up?' the swordsman wondered, unable to answer his own question.

Of course, he _had_ to say something about those feelings she finally admitted to him.

…But what?

Maybe that was because she was much younger than him, but he never even wondered if a relationship with her would be possible. But, at the same time, he felt like telling her he was not interested would, maybe, be a mistake.

'Do I feel anything for her?'

Once again, his own question found no answer as his eyes stayed locked on her flawless face. As he observed her, he admitted to himself that she was rather cute, and was no longer the little girl he knew. As time went by, she had grown to become a smart, attractive woman. The excuse of her being too young for him was no longer available.

Sighing, he leaned forward, getting a little closer to her, letting his eyes trail along her perfectly straight, dark brown hair spreading all over her pillow, looking at her as if he never saw her, finally allowing himself to _really_ see her.

Then, he took her hand in his, feeling a pang of hurt striking at his chest when he felt the abnormal coldness of her skin against his own. Getting worried, he took a look at her chest, rising and falling under each silent breath she took, an undeniable sign that she was very much alive. Sighing a breath of relief, Tenzen turned his attention back to her pale visage, gently rubbing her fingers with his own, wishing to give her all the warmth he could possibly provide her with. Soon, he found himself completely at peace, thinking about nothing else than the small patterns he drew on her skin, unaware of the growing fatigue that took over his whole being.

----------------

Meanwhile, Aerith and Sephiroth were sitting on the fresh grass behind their house, looking at the bright stars gracing the night sky as they both were unwilling to surrender to sleep's tender embrace. Holding him in an iron grip filled with undeniable affection, Aerith smiled contentedly, overwhelmed by a strong feeling of warmth soothing her heart.

"I can't thank you enough" she said, raising a pair of loving emeralds to meet green Mako pools.

"Why?"

"You know why, silly!" she giggled, poking him in the ribs.

"…I don't deserve any thanks" Sephiroth protested, unwilling to admit the strange, comfortable feeling spreading through him.

"Of course you do. I can't love you any more than I do now, it's simply too much" Aerith declared, placing her head on his chest as she took a deep, rejuvenating breath.

Unable to help but to smile as he heard her words, Sephiroth gently took hold of her chin before leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. As he kissed her, Sephiroth could almost _feel_ Aerith's love flowing through his own veins, engulfing him like a bewitching melody.

"I'm so proud of you." She declared sweetly once they broke the kiss, lying down on her back to look at the sky, a peaceful expression written all over her moonlit visage.

Looking at her as he let her words sink in, Sephiroth wondered if he ever felt so light, so at peace with himself. As far as he could remember, nothing ever allowed him to feel so warm, so…

The feelings he felt now were nothing war, death or power had ever provided him with. Somehow, being loved so deeply and admired by the one single woman he would ever have real feelings for was much better than killing hundreds and bathing in a never-ending thirst for power.

-----------------

The next morning…

When the first sunrays pierced through the sky, Aerith's eyes fluttered open, a contented smile drawing itself on her lips as she remembered the previous night, feeling perfectly rested even if she had only slept two or three hours. Next to her, lying on the grass with an arm lazily resting around her small frame, Sephiroth was sleeping soundly, and looked like he would not wake up anytime soon.

'I'm glad…he seems to have slept rather well, for once' she thought, letting her fingers slide along his lustrous hair.

But, it wasn't long before a wave of nausea rose to her stomach, savagely breaking the tender moment she was having. Without loosing a single second, she threw Sephiroth's arm off of her before swiftly rising to her feet and running to her house, waking him at the same time.

Blinking, he opened his eyes just in time to see her slam the door shut, wondering what was wrong with her. Rising to a sitting position, he realised how tired he still was, but glad to have spent a night devoid of any kind of nightmares. In fact, he didn't even know if he had dreamt at all.

'It must be her…she drove them away' the swordsman thought, immediately chasing the thought away as he felt rather silly.

Then, wishing to go back to sleep for a few hours more, he rose to his feet, brushing the dirt away from his clothes before entering the house as well.

0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Tenzen was lying half on his chair, half on Kitakaze's bed, sleeping soundly as he still held her hand, having surrendered to sleep's endearing embrace without even realizing it. But, as he was lost in a dream he would never remember, the machine monitoring Kitakaze's heartbeat started making weird sounds, tearing him right out of his slumber.

"Hm…?" he breathed, eyes sliding open as he slowly came back to reality.

Retreating himself back on his chair, Tenzen raised his hand to chase a few bangs of chestnut hair away from his tired eyes, only to stop in mid-action, fear spreading all over his face as he saw a sticky, red substance staining his hands.

Kitakaze was bleeding again. For how long, he did not know, but he immediately ran out of her room, adrenaline pumping through his veins has he ran to Adoria's lab.

Even if he did not know what to tell her, he needed to speak with her again, to hear her voice, to see her sweet eyes smile at him…Or else, he would never forgive himself.

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**A/N: I know, another cliff-hanger, but I updated fast enough and that will be the same for the next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	31. Unspoken

**A/N: Another fast update! I try to stop myself from writing, but I just cannot, lol, I do so as soon as I have a moment to. So, I hope you'll like it.**

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Last chapter

Kitakaze was bleeding again. For how long, he did not know, but he immediately ran out of her room, adrenaline pumping through his veins has he ran to Adoria's lab.

Even if he did not know what to tell her, he needed to speak with her again, to hear her voice, to see her sweet eyes smile at him…Or else, he would never forgive himself.

------------------------

A while later, Aerith returned home after going to the drug store, carefully making her way to the bedroom, sighing a breath of relief as she saw Sephiroth, sleeping like a baby, his hair sprawled widely across the mattress. Taking advantage of his slumber, she swiftly entered the bathroom, which could be accessed through their room, and locked the door behind her. Once she was certain that no one would bother her, she nervously opened the little cardboard box she'd just bought, revealing it's content.

'Now…how does this thing work?' she wondered to herself, carefully reading the instructions before discarding the now useless package.

Then, she executed all the steps, just as it was indicated, trying to calm her racing heart. Once she was finished, she placed the foreign object next to the sink and started walking in circles as she had to wait five long minutes for the results to appear. Of course, it seemed like an eternity.

'Oh gods, if this is positive, what am I going to do?' she stressed, letting out a heavy, nervous sigh.

Once the unbearable wait was finally over, the young woman took the small, white piece of plastic in her slightly trembling hands, almost fainting as she saw the result.

'Oh dear Planet…I'm really going to have a baby…'

Struck by a mix of happiness, wonder and doubt, Aerith stayed immobile for a moment, staring at the pink mark that had just changed her life. Blinking, she tried to push away all the questions that invaded her mind, too confused to answer them for now.

'Do I want it? …No, is _he_ going to want it? …Am I ready for this? … Oh, why didn't I take any precautions…' were just a few of the unanswered interrogations hacking at her brain.

Taking a moment to let the shock flow away from her mind and body, the brunette hid the test in a few tissues, then dumped it, making sure no one would ever see or find it. That done, she swallowed hard and took a deep breath before finally coming out of the bathroom, eager to flee her house and find someone, anyone, to talk to.

But, as she made a step into her bedroom, the young woman stopped dead in her tracks, trying to suppress her nervousness as her eyes caught an unexpected sight. Sitting on their messed up bed with a slightly mischievous grin plastered on his face, Sephiroth was looking straight at her, and was very much awake. Obviously, he was very far from knowing what had just happened in the washroom.

"Where are you going? It's still early" he remarked.

"Well…I just want to go visit my sister" the brunette answered, nervously playing with a lock of curled hair.

"Not before you come here" Sephiroth protested, the grin never leaving his face.

Letting herself relax as a smile reflecting his own drew itself on her lips, Aerith walked towards the bed, letting out a surprised gasp as Sephiroth swiftly grabbed her by the waist and threw her on the mattress.

"What are you doing?" she laughed as he placed himself on top of her, sliding his arms around her small frame, his hands travelling to the warm skin of her back.

"Hmm…you're soft. Did you use a new lotion or something?" he asked her, burying his face in her loose hair.

"Yes, and a very good one at that" she replied, suppressing a giggle as she remembered having heard somewhere that pregnant women had softer skin than usual.

"I like it" he purred, his mouth a few millimetres away from hers, before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

Closing her eyes to enjoy the moment to the fullest, Aerith let her hands travel down his muscled back, only to realize that he wore absolutely nothing. Smiling under his lips, she let out an appreciative moan, gradually forgetting about anything else than their intertwined bodies.

When he finally broke the kiss, she was completely under his charm, holding him lovingly in a lazy embrace as he placed moist kisses along her neck.

"I love you so much…" she breathed, smiling as his amazing silver hair tickled her rosy cheeks.

"I love you more" he replied, a sentiment of warmth flowing through her whole body, making her wish she could feel this way forever.

Right now, as his words resonated through her mind, she felt like the happiest woman in the universe.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Later, as Sephiroth fell asleep next to her, his hair sticking to his forehead and clinging to his slightly damp back, Aerith admired his handsome figure, smiling as she gently brushed the fine silver bangs falling in front of his closed eyelids, content simply to feel the silky strands flow smoothly between her fingers.

Then, she let her hand slid down his cheek, her greedy emeralds taking on the sight of him with a look of blinded love. Everything about him was so perfect…and, when he slept, she particularly enjoyed looking at his lips, which looked so soft and absolutely gorgeous, just fleshy enough to make any woman dream about tasting them…and she knew they were hers, and hers alone.

'The more I get to know him, the more I love him' she realized, her heart melting as she remembered him tell her those three simple words.

'…Before, he practically never told me he loved me. At least, not directly…He seems able to, now. Maybe he finally accepted his feelings, or…maybe he just got used to it' she pondered, her fingers slowly drawing the masculine yet fine line of his jaw.

Still taking a look at his velvet lips, she found herself biting her own bottom lip, eager to feel their warm softness against her own, wishing to steal a kiss from his slumber. Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward, letting her lips touch his in a feathery kiss before snuggling closer to him, hiding her peaceful figure in the crook of his neck, enjoying his presence to the fullest. His warmth, his endearing scent…those were little things she would never get bored of.

Then, as her eyelashes tickled his collarbone, she let her hand fall to her stomach, gently stroking it, drawing little circles in a tender fashion.

'I think I finally decided… I want to have a child with him…' the young woman realized, letting out a contented sigh as she felt like the whole world's blessing was upon her.

…But…even in the middle of this heavenly moment, something was not right.

'If only my sister was fine…' the flower girl regretted, a frown touching her small figure.

'…No, I can't let despair spoil such a magnificent day! My sister is still with us, I can still share my happiness with her. Maybe…this will also give her something more to hold on to, a new hope.' she almost immediately reprimanded herself, leaving Sephiroth's embrace as she swiftly got off the bed, ready to put on some appropriate clothing.

On that note, she grabbed her belongings and got dressed, leaving the house as soon as she was ready, almost glowing with happiness as she made her way to the hospital, feeling as if she was ready to burst.

"I can't wait to tell her!" Aerith exclaimed out loud, unable to stop herself as she walked through the city streets.

Once she reached her destination, the brunette quickly made her way through the Hospital's lifeless corridors, never once noticing her gloomy surroundings.

But, as she entered the corridor leading to Kitakaze's room, Aerith's smile slowly faded away from her lips as her pace slowed considerably. In front of her, standing in the middle of the hallway, Tenzen and Adoria held each other, all alone between the dull, stifling walls. Her fists clenched against Tenzen's chest, Adoria buried her face against his shoulder as he held her in a friendly, yet sad embrace. In the deadly silence weighing around them, Aerith could hear the raven haired woman's cries as she helplessly wept her heart out on her friend's welcoming shoulder.

For the first time since she entered the hospital, she saw how dark and sad the never-ending corridors were, feeling her heart sink to the pit of her stomach as she made her way towards her friends. Swallowing hard, she finally stopped a fair distance away from them, trying to force her mouth to pronounce the words burning at her tongue.

"What happened? Is she…did something happen to my sister?" she dared asking, holding her breath as Adoria left Tenzen's arms to turn her attention towards her.

"I…I'm so…so sorry…" the raven haired woman whimpered, immediately breaking down, burying her face in her trembling hands, letting salty tears run between her pale fingers.

Realizing that Adoria would never be able to explain anything, Tenzen turned his eyes away from Aerith's pleading gaze, readying himself to voice the words he still had a hard time accepting.

"Tenzen, tell me! Why…why is she crying?" Aerith started to panic, taking a hold of the man's arm to make him look at her.

"Kitakaze bled again this morning, and…slipped into a coma a few moments ago. The doctors say that…they won't operate her anymore if anything else happens. They say she's doomed, even if, by some miracle, a real cure was found" Tenzen finally explained, struggling with all his might to keep the tears at bay.

"…Are…are you saying…they're going to let her die?" Aerith stuttered, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"…Yes"

Struck by his answer like a spear piercing through her chest, Aerith stayed perfectly immobile, staring at him with horror written all over her face, her hand still wrapped around his arm as she let realization sink in, but unable to accept it as reality.

"No, Tenzen! I don't believe you! Please, tell me it's a lie!" she suddenly exclaimed, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.

"No one would lie about such a thing" Adoria declared, having finally regained control of herself.

"But…she's still alive, isn't she? Where is she? I want to see her!" Aerith begged, finally letting go Tenzen's arm, only to turn around and grab Adoria's shoulders.

"No one is allowed to see her until tomorrow…but don't worry, I'll make sure she stays safe…" Adoria answered, calmly removing Aerith's hands from her shoulders, keeping a gentle hold of them as Aerith was finally beginning to calm down.

"You should go tell Ifalna, Aerith. If it's too hard for you, I'll be glad to accompany you" Adoria proposed, smiling weakly as Aerith nodded.

Then, she raised her sapphire eyes to look at Tenzen, who had the worn out appearance of a man who had just taken a nasty beating.

"What are you going to do?" she asked him, getting worried.

"…I'll go home. I need to be alone"

Nodding her understanding, Adoria took Aerith by the arm, and the three left the hospital without adding a single word.

-----------------

Later, Tenzen was lying on his bed, a few pillows placed behind his back to support him as he held a drawing book, having the urge to draw something, anything. Sometimes, when he needed to get his mind off of things, he simply took a pencil and let his subconscious guide his hands, drawing whatever his mind told him to, not thinking about anything precise.

But now, as he opened the book to a blank page, Tenzen frowned, admitting to himself that his arms were hurting far too much for him to be able to draw anything right now. To him, it seemed that the bruises staining his skin only grew in number with each passing day, and the pain was only getting worse.

"Well…now that I'm at it…" he sighed, deciding that if he could not draw, at least he could take a look at his previous drawings.

So, he opened the very first page, smiling as his eyes took on the sight of the first drawing he had ever done in this book. It was a portrait of Adoria, and he had to admit that it was very good. She looked just like she did in reality…

'Hm…but she looks happier. She never smiles like this. …I guess that's just how I want her to be' he reflected, carefully turning the page.

The next few drawings represented random women, and he didn't pay much attention to it, until a particular picture captured his attention. Lying lazily on a wide beach, a young woman seemed to be looking at the sky, smiling sweetly. Her dark brown hair were sprawled gorgeously on the golden sand as she wore almost nothing, only loose sheets of ripped, light blue silk, making her look like some kind of lovely goddess.

By far, this was the best drawing he had ever done in his entire life. But…something about the woman's figure grabbed his curiosity. Now that he observed it more intently, Tenzen realized the striking resemblance between this imaginary goddess and a girl he knew well.

This unearthly, half naked woman looked exactly like Kitakaze. Her face, her smile, the curves tracing her small yet womanly frame…maybe he never really realized it, but the woman he had portrayed was obviously his dearest friend. And the picture was, to say the least, very revealing.

'I've never thought about it, hm? Yeah, right. …Who am I trying to fool?' he thought bitterly, not knowing if he should laugh or cry.

Unable to tear his eyes away from his own gorgeous work, he stayed immobile for a moment, hurt slowly creeping it's way into his heart as he wished she could be just like that, enjoying the sun with a smile illuminating her face.

'If she could see this, she would probably think I'm some kind of pervert, slap me and refuse to ever see me again' he thought, trying to amuse himself, wishing to think about anything else than reality.

But, as he looked at this picture of her, he felt a strange feeling tugging at his chest, a bittersweet warmth he had not felt in a long time… and then, he knew exactly what he wanted to tell her. The day before, he had behaved like a stupid jerk, too blind to realize his own feelings.

Now…if he could speak to her, he wouldn't say anything at all. Words would not be needed, for actions were far more efficient.

'…I'm so dumb. Now's too late to realize that' he thought in the back of his mind, clenching his jaw as he could no longer endure the pain stabbing at his heart, a suffering which seemed to be more of a torture than the physical pain running through his body, reminding him of his own doom.

'No matter, I'll be in the same state as her, soon enough. Maybe I'll be able to apologize to her once we're both gone…'

On that thought, he clenched his eyes shut, holding his breath as a single, warm tear made it's way down his cheek. At the same time, he could feel a drop of his own blood flow down his right arm, knowing that, for now, no more blood would flow from his wounds.

For now.

--------------------

A while later…

Trying to cheer herself up, if only a little, Aerith was kneeling in her garden, taking care of her beloved flowers. Soon enough, the night would fall upon the city, but she couldn't care less. As for Sephiroth, he had understood her need for solitude and went to take a walk.

A day had already flew by since she knew about the new life growing inside her, and she still hadn't spoke about it, not even to her mother, nor to her lover…no one knew about it but herself.

'I don't want to tell him just yet…When I do, I want it to be perfect, special' she thought, not quite willing to admit that she was afraid.

In the bottom of her heart, she feared he would not be very happy with the news, and she would definitely not be able to bear any kind of flaws in her relationship, not now. She had already too many things on her mind, and the only thing that kept her strong was Sephiroth's love, the way he held her lovingly and looked at her with his intense, blazing eyes.

Even if she had to keep a secret from him, she did not want to do anything that might push him away.

0o0o0o0o

Meanwhile, Sephiroth was walking on the plains outside the city, reflecting about the fact that he had not felt the need to wander in the forest since the incident involving Aerith's sister. Even his nightmares seemed to have flew away from his mind. But, even if he preferred things this way, he was no fool.

'All this commotion is probably just distracting me' he admitted to himself, letting his eyes wander to the small river running nearby, reminding him of Kitakaze's blood, flowing freely through it's glowing current.

Then, as he thought about those dreams he never wanted to experience again, Sephiroth realized something that he found rather relieving.

'At least, I don't dream about Zack's memories anymore'

And this, to him, was quite a blessing. He liked to be his own master, and had enough of his own memories without having to deal with those of others.

Then, as he got tired of wandering around aimlessly, he turned to the city, lazily heading back the way he came, letting a shadow of a smile draw itself on his lips as he was eager to see Aerith and hold her against his own body, comforting her with his simple presence. For now, it was all he needed.

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**A/N: I'd like to know what you think, so, like always, reviews are very much appreciated.**


	32. Biohazard

**A/N: A lack of feedback from the previous chapter as made me unwilling to write this one, but there it is now. Some action will be going on the next chapter, and then the story will come to an end. Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter.**

**Happy reading!**

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Last chapter…

'At least, I don't dream about Zack's memories anymore'

And this, to him, was quite a blessing. He liked to be his own master, and had enough of his own memories without having to deal with those of others.

Then, as he got tired of wandering around aimlessly, he turned to the city, lazily heading back the way he came, letting a shadow of a smile draw itself on his lips as he was eager to see Aerith and hold her against his own body, comforting her with his simple presence. For now, it was all he needed.

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The next morning, Aerith and Sephiroth awoke in worried confusion as insistent knocks kept thundering on the front door.

"Who can that be?" the brunette groaned as she rose to a sitting position, lazily straightening her pyjama, as she realised it was only five in the morning.

"Whatever. They won't be leaving unless we answer" Sephiroth said in the same tone, getting off the bed.

Nodding, Aerith got to her feet as well and they both went to the source of annoying noise. Letting out a heavy sigh, the young Cetra opened the door, only to find herself in front of two agitated soldiers.

"What is it?" she asked, frowning.

"We are sorry to disturb you…" began the tallest soldier, briefly looking at Aerith and Sephiroth, noticing their pyjamas. "But Radiant Garden is currently under a state of emergency, and every citizen is to follow us without protest"

"…What happened?" Aerith breathed, placing a hand in front of her mouth as her eyes grew wide with unhidden worry.

Unsure as if it was a good idea to tell her the absolute truth, the soldiers exchanged an uneasy glance, then turned their attention back to her.

"This city is now in a situation of biohazard, and it is crucial that every citizen undergoes a few medical tests. Now, take a minute to change and come with us" the tallest one explained in a firm voice, pretending not to notice as Aerith's face was drained of all colors.

Swallowing hard, Aerith nodded before returning to her room to put on some appropriate clothes, followed by a troubled Sephiroth.

0o0o0o0

Later, they were waiting in line inside the Hospital, perturbed by the confusion spreading amongst the other citizens, who were vainly trying to understand the situation. Obviously, no one had been told the whole truth.

"I heard Kitakaze's virus is spreading" someone said.

"Yes, they've taken my sister into custody, they think she's infected" a woman approved in a watery tone, indicating she had been crying.

As she heard the speculations, Aerith turned a pair of worried emeralds to meet Sephiroth's icy jades, swallowing hard as they both knew the rumours were most likely true. Then, Sephiroth turned his attention elsewhere, feeling an unwanted stare burn right through him, his eyes meeting those of the very same woman who had dared insulting him sometime ago. Encircled by a band of tough looking warriors wrapped in tight leather clothes, she was observing him with a pair of intense grey eyes filled with undeniable hatred. Her eyes never leaving him, she exchanged a few words with her companions, who shot subtle glances in his direction.

'She doesn't value her life very much, does she?' the silver haired man thought in the back of his mind, his face staying perfectly calm and emotionless as he engraved her ugly face inside his brain, making sure to record every detail of her despicable figure.

Once he was satisfied enough, Sephiroth turned to Aerith, sliding his arm around her waist as she leaned slightly against him, wishing to calm her racing heart. Fortunately, she was way too perturbed by the situation to ever notice the annoying woman spying on them.

0o0o0o0o

Four hours later, blood samples had been taken from every citizen, and they now had to wait in the cafeteria, since they were way too many to fit in any waiting room. One by one, names were called from an intercom and soldiers came to escort the healthy persons back to their home while the infected ones were grabbed and transported to the quarantine area. Soon enough, a wave of panic engulfed the entire room as people started shouting, demanding some explanations. So, to prevent the situation from getting worse, Adoria soon appeared in the back of the room, holding a microphone.

"Silence, please" she demanded, raising her voice to make sure everyone heard her.

So, she didn't need to repeat herself as every single soul became as silent as death itself, turning their attention to her.

"What I am going to tell you may disturb you, but you have, in any circumstance, to stay perfectly calm and act logically in order to help us keep control of the situation. So, I ask of you to follow our instructions and avoid causing any kind of resistance or trouble" she began, before someone got impatient and shouted at her.

"What's going on?!" an impudent man thundered.

Ignoring him, Adoria waited for everyone to be silent again before resuming her speech.

"A few days ago, there was an incident in which the alien virus surfaced once again. Since then, a few people that were never infected before came here showing signs of infection. Yesterday, it has been confirmed that they, somehow, got infected" she explained, her eyes trailing along the color drained faces of the crowd.

As she spoke, Sephiroth felt a knot tie itself in his stomach, a nauseating uneasiness he now recognised as guilt in it's most stifling form. Looking at her eyes wandering among them, the silver haired man swallowed the lump in his throat as he was sure she laid her sapphire orbs on him, her gaze piercing through his soul with a hundred knives. But, the rational part of his mind told him that this was very improbable, considering the amount of people crammed together in the room.

"For now, that is all we know, and we'll make sure to inform you if there is any development." Adoria told in a tone filled with unmistakable finality.

Then, she turned on her heels and left, accompanied by two soldiers, trying to ignore the shouts, cries and whispers of the crowd, which was now much more afraid than frustrated. As soon as she was out of sight, a few people started shooting glances in Sephiroth's direction, whispering things amongst each other as they looked at him in unhidden suspicion. Noticing their annoying behaviour, the silver haired man shifted in his seat, frustrated at himself for being slightly intimidated. For the first time since he had set foot in Radiant Garden, he felt like they had a reason to hate him.

As if sensing his discomfort, Aerith placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering him a smile filled with trust, her sparkling green eyes reminding him that no matter the hatred in their eyes, or the poison in their words, she would always be by his side, believing in her heart that he deserved her respect… and that, somehow, managed to make him even more uncomfortable. Unable to hold his eyes locked with hers, he lowered his head and looked at the floor as if it was suddenly very interesting.

"Seph…it's not your fault" his beloved tried to reassure him, but he only snorted sarcastically in response.

'If only you knew how wrong you are…' he thought in the back of his mind, paying attention as to not let any emotion taint his cold figure.

Even if he knew telling her the whole truth would probably lift a weigh off of his shoulders, Sephiroth had no intention of revealing anything to her. Lying was way better than getting a slap across the face in front of the whole town and maybe, loosing his beloved's trust. No… he would never tell her he had almost let her sister die as her blood flew in the river, looking at it with sick fascination and probably causing the mess they were now trapped in.

Soon enough, to Sephiroth's relief _and_ disappointment, Aerith's name was called, and a soldier came to accompany her to the room she had been told to go. Once she attained her destination, the soldier allowed her to enter alone, staying outside to wait for her to come out. Entering the room as she nervously played with a lone curl, Aerith sighed a breath of relief when she saw Adoria, standing next to a small observation bed, a friendly smile drawing itself on her lips. Closing the door behind her, Aerith stepped inside, sitting on the bed as Adoria motioned for her to.

"What did you call me for?" Aerith asked, trying to control her nervousness.

"I've just finished analysing Sephiroth's blood, and his natural resistance to the infection is two times higher than before. I guess it's probably because he had constant and close contact with infected individuals."

"I see…"

"As for you… your immunity is ten times higher than before" Adoria declared, an amused smile playing at her lips as a look of pure awe took over Aerith's features.

"What?! How?" the brunette exclaimed.

"Probably for the same reason…but your body is now even more capable to defend itself against the infection than Sephiroth's. …By the way, congratulations"

Immediately understanding Adoria's words, Aerith's face took on an interesting shade of red.

"Did you tell him the good news?" the scientist asked her as she took a stethoscope.

"…No" was Aerith's hesitant answer.

Nodding her understanding, Adoria listened to Aerith's heart, smiling as it was beating normally, just as she had thought it would.

"Will I have the right to see my sister, even if I am pregnant?"

"Of course. Your baby is really what's making you so resistant to the virus. You see, when a Cetra woman is pregnant, her body creates a kind of hormone that strengthens the mother's antibodies. Actually, this is a very strong defence against any kind of disease, not to mention that this is Sephiroth's child. Without a doubt, this baby is a blessing" Adoria explained, her eyes shining with something close to triumph.

Wondering what exactly was going on in her friend's mind, Aerith raised a questioning eyebrow as Adoria wrapped something around her arm to take her blood pressure. But, soon enough, as she observed the scientist's bright smile and confident looks, Aerith's eyes lit with sudden realization. Her blood as it was now could probably hold the cure to the deadliest virus to have ever fallen on her race.

"Oh my god!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking at Adoria with wide eyes filled with wonder.

"Exactly. But, we can't let probabilities deceive us" the scientist replied, a serious look returning to her features.

"What do you mean?"

"The virus is also two times stronger than before. My boss's mistake was a rather stupid one, and it will be harder to get rid of the infection now"

Swallowing her deception down, Aerith let her eyes fall to the floor as Adoria continued examining her. A few moments later, the scientist finally finished the examination, smiling as Aerith got to her feet, ready to go rejoin Sephiroth and go back to her house.

"Everything's perfectly fine" Adoria declared, visibly happy.

"Thank you" Aerith sighed, trying to force a smile, but to no avail.

"…Something's bothering you?" Adoria worried as she noticed her strange behaviour.

Swallowing hard, Aerith took a moment to gather her courage before speaking again, her voice filled with unhidden worry.

"I understand that…my baby may be our only chance, so…I'm willing to help you in your research. But…once everything's done, if it's not too late…could you abort me? Or at least, refer me to someone trustable who can do it"

Completely taken aback by Aerith's unexpected demand, Adoria stood frozen in place, eyes wide. But, it only took a moment before she felt Aerith's uneasiness…and fear, realizing what was going on in the future mother's mind.

"Well…you have a little less than two months to make a decision. But if you still want to do it then, …I won't try to stop you" she finally said, giving her a comforting smile.

Taking a deep breath, Aerith nodded slowly before turning to the door, only to be stooped by Adoria, who placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I really think you should tell him. He deserves to know…and maybe his reaction will surprise you"

"Yes, I will"

On that note, Aerith finally left the examination room, following the guard as he escorted her back to Sephiroth, and to their house.

----------------------

Later, Williem was sitting in his office, groaning in annoyance as his secretary knocked shyly at the door.

"What?" he spat, looking at her with an annoyed look plastered on his face as she entered the room.

"Hm…forgive me, sir, but Marilou is here. She wishes to see you now"

"Let her in"

"Yes, sir"

Eager to flee from her boss's arrogant and unpleasant manners, the secretary bowed nervously before leaving the room in a split second, just before the visitor in question made her entrance, accompanied by a bunch of leather clad warriors.

"Hi, my Lord. Because of today's confusion, I thought it is my duty to come see you for advice, and to know what your intentions are" Marilou declared in a firm, cold voice.

"Precisely?" Williem groaned, raising an annoyed eyebrow.

"We think something must be done to rid this world of the source of all our current problems"

"Hm…and why is that?"

"It is obvious that he is the reason why the virus is now spreading all over the town. A number of people saw him running through the streets, holding the victim's bleeding body in his arms. I interrogated many infected citizens, who told me that he bumped into them and, as a result, blood got splashed on them. It is most likely one of the causes"

"I see…" Williem commented, satisfaction tainting his voice as he rubbed his beard.

"One could easily guess that he did it on purpose. Or else, why wasn't he careful not to slam into anybody? I guess he was in a hurry to reach the Hospital, but still…The asshole is clever, so he _knew_ they were going to be infected. Not to mention that there may be another reason behind those new infections, and he must certainly be the one who orchestrated everything" Marilou added, a triumphant smile drawing itself on her lips as she saw Williem's eyes lighten up.

"What do you have in mind?" the governor asked, straightening himself on his chair, delighted by the fact that he now had a potentially good reason to annihilate the treacherous human spoiling both their holy land, _and_ the maiden who saved their previous home planet.

"We thought to use the spoiled half-Cetra as a bait, and lure him into a trap. But…the operation needs to be confidential, because the rest of the governors will certainly disapprove of it"

"You're absolutely right" Williem declared evilly, a sadistic smile spreading on his disgusting face.

'This is going to be interesting' he thought, the expression on his face reflecting Marilou's as they twitched with unhidden anticipation.

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**A/N: I hope you had no problem guessing who Marilou is :P. For those who thought that Williem's imbecility was over and done with, well, it seems like you were wrong :P. So, don't forget to give me feedback, I need it. As for Aerith aborting, don't get all surprised about it, she's only saying it as a possibility, but this will be explained more deeply in the next chapter.  
**


	33. Unfair irony

**A/N: A fast update! Maybe it is because I feel like ending ****the story just as fast as I can, and I had to post it to get it out of my head. Oh, and this is a longer chapter than usual, as a bonus for having reached the two hundred reviews. Well, give me feedback, it prevents me from rushing it :P. **

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Last chapter…

"You're absolutely right" Williem declared evilly, a sadistic smile spreading on his disgusting face.

'This is going to be interesting' he thought, the expression on his face reflecting Marilou's as they twitched with unhidden anticipation.

----------------------

Once Aerith was finally back home, still shaken from her visit to the hospital, she decided to take a long, warm shower to rejuvenate and maybe, think a little more clearly. Leaving Sephiroth alone as he went outside to practice his Katas, she locked the bathroom door behind her and started to undress, unable to forget the look of pure shock written all over Adoria's face when she had told her she thought of abortion.

'I guess she's disapproving…and I guess no one would think _I_ would ever want to do something like that ' the brunette thought bitterly.

But, even if she wanted to tell herself that she really wanted to do it, the flower girl knew better than that. No matter the situation, it wasn't like her to decide something so radical as this. She liked children, and had too much respect for life to make such a decision easily. In the bottom of her heart, she knew perfectly that she already loved her baby, and throwing it away would be like destroying a part of herself.

'I asked her just in case Sephiroth takes the news very badly…giving me no other choice' she admitted to herself as she turned the water on, sliding her fingers through the glowing current to test the temperature.

In fact, Aerith knew very well that if he did not want her to become pregnant in the first place, he only had to think before he acted and behave accordingly. Now, it was his problem if he was unable to take his responsibility. But, no matter how many times she repeated those words in her mind to try and convince herself to confront him if he got mad, she could not help but to be reminded that a child without a father is always missing something, somewhere in the bottom of it's heart.

'I know, for I never had a father myself, thanks to Hojo' she thought sarcastically, trying not to remember that Hojo was, ironically, her lover's father.

Sighing heavily, Aerith removed the last of her clothes and turned the shower on, immediately immerging herself under the hot current, closing her eyes as she let the shining liquid roll down her tired figure.

'Besides…if Sephiroth never loves our baby…What will I do? …The people of this city would hate it simply for being his, and…the rest of the world will resent it for being even less than a halfling…and I certainly don't want my child to suffer the same solitude I endured all my life' she reflected, feeling a wave of bitter nostalgia flow through her soul as she remembered the way everyone avoided her for being strange, or tried to capture her for their own selfish desires.

Getting even more discouraged by her own thoughts, Aerith rubbed her face vigorously, as if to chase them away.

'…No matter…I have to talk to Sephiroth before starting to worry. There's no need to think about it, for now…If he says he doesn't want it, then so be it. Anyway, I still have time to think on the matter…' she finally concluded, massaging her scalp as she absently washed her silky hair, the heavy, humid air around her saturated by a sweet watermelon scent.

0o0o0o0o0

That evening, Aerith prepared supper for herself and Sephiroth, carefully decorating the small table as she hummed softly, a whirlwind of words and emotions storming in her mind as she tried to find the right way to inform Sephiroth of his fatherhood. Smiling even under her stress, she let out a contented sigh as she admired her work, quite proud of what she had been able to accomplish. The only thing she regretted was to have forgotten to buy any candles, but this was a detail only she would care about, anyway. Then, as she put away her apron and straightened her long, pale blue dress, Aerith heard familiar, almost inaudible footsteps entering the dinning room.

"How do you feel?" she asked sweetly, turning around to face Sephiroth, whose hair was still a little moistened after taking a shower.

"Better" he replied, curiously observing the table.

Trying not to blush as she saw his face lighten up with unhidden interest, Aerith nervously straightened the ends of a lone chestnut curl.

"What's that for?"

"Oh, well, I simply wanted us to have a nice dinner after such a tiring day" Aerith explained, letting out a muted breath of relief as he simply nodded, taking place at the far end of the table.

Sitting on the other end to be face to face with him, Aerith poured herself a full glass of strawberry juice before emptying it in an amazingly short amount of time. Observing her, Sephiroth remarked the almost imperceptible shaking of her hand as she held the glass, raising a questioning eyebrow as she put it back down on the table, breathing heavily.

"You're awfully nervous. Is something on your mind?" he asked, carefully studying the emotions quickly passing through her darkened emeralds.

"It's nothing. I'm just stressed about all that's happened these last few days, that's all" she partially lied, hiding her distress behind a fake, yet sweet smile.

Nodding as he thought this was surely hard on her, Sephiroth did not think anymore on the subject, turning his attention to the steaming plate waiting in front of him. Then, when he raised his eyes to say something, Aerith was already eating in a rather fast pace, at least, faster than normal.

'I'll have to take care of her after this' he thought, repressing a smirk as he began eating as well.

0o0o0o0

Later, once they finished cleaning the table, Aerith went to the bedroom, followed by Sephiroth, who was completely oblivious to the thoughts running through her brain. Sitting on the bed, she nervously avoided looking at him while he took place next to her, calm and composed as usual. Right now, she was utterly jealous of the way he could be so relaxed. But, her constant nervousness did not go unnoticed, giving him an interesting idea.

"Lay down" the silver haired man suddenly asked, before she could even think about saying anything.

"What?" she stuttered, surprised.

"Lay down, on your belly"

Frowning, she did as he said, telling herself that she might as well be lying on her stomach while she still could. Then, before she had time to wonder what he had in mind, she felt him shifting his position and sliding his slender fingers between the silky blue laces tying the back of her dress, expertly undoing them. Once he had successfully untied every single lace, he slowly bared her tense shoulders before placing his bare hands on them, drawing small circles around her stiff muscles. Breathing a sigh of pure contentment, Aerith felt her body relax under his touch, closing her eyes as a slight smile drew itself on her lips.

Soon enough, bewitched by his warm, soft fingers doing magic on her tired skin, Aerith yawned softly as a few small, sleepy tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. From then, it wasn't long before she started dozing off, almost too comfortable to feel Sephiroth's soft lips placing a feather like kiss on the top of her shoulder. But, somehow, the gesture allowed her to come back to reality, if only slightly, reminding her of the hard task she had bestowed upon herself.

"Sephiroth?" she breathed sleepily, forcing her eyes open.

"Hm?"

"I need to tell you something" she finally declared, swallowing hard as she rolled to her side, facing him.

"What?"

Taking a moment to observe his imposing silhouette drawn by the silver moonlight, Aerith took a deep breath, knowing that it was now too late to turn back. She had to tell him now, or she would never be able to. Besides, he had the right to know, and the secret was starting to weigh heavily on her frail shoulders.

"Seph, I…" she swallowed hard, her palms moistening. "I'm pregnant"

Upon hearing her words, Sephiroth stayed perfectly still, his face showing no reaction, nor emotion as he stared at her blankly, wordlessly stabbing daggers through her heart. Fighting off the tears shining in her worried emeralds, the brunette held her breath, wishing to say anything to break the silence, but unable to force her voice to carry on her thoughts.

"What did you say?" the silver haired man finally replied in a slightly chilling tone.

"I'm going to have a baby. Your baby" she repeated, rising to a sitting position.

Again, silence fell upon them as Sephiroth observed her, holding his breath as his mind processed the impact of those simple words. To him, the reality she was now cursing him with was an undeniable impossibility.

"I'm certain that I can't produce children" he declared as calmly as he could, once his brain finally registered her words.

"What are you implying? That I have slept with another man? Well I'm sorry to deceive you, but I'm not the kind of woman to do something like that" the brunette exclaimed, her eyes shining with something close to fury.

"That's not what I meant…" he sighed, lowering his head as he tried to clear his mind and think normally.

Feeling a lone tear running down her warm cheek, Aerith got closer to him, putting a gentle hand on his forearm as she swallowed her pain, feeling as if someone was sadistically twisting a knife in her chest. Somewhere in her soul, she hoped there was something she could say to make him understand her feelings and share them, if only slightly.

"I…I want to have your child, Seph…Because I know I'll never love a man as much as I love you…" she said in a soft, watery voice as more tears flowed down her face, a tiny sparkle of hope warming her soul.

"I don't think I can handle having children" he declared, doing his best to avoid looking in her sad, teary eyes.

Deeply hurt by his words, Aerith removed her hand from his arm and unconsciously moved away from him, oblivious to the cold shiver running down his spine with the loss of her warmth. Feeling even colder than he, Aerith knew that she should say something more, or get angry at him for being so selfish, but was unable to find the strength to.

"I thought you would say something like this, so I…I already asked Adoria to abort the baby, if needed" she declared in a cold, yet small voice.

"Do it, then" he replied just as coldly before getting to his feet in a graceful motion, eager to leave and breathe some fresh air.

On that note, Aerith broke down in tears, burying her face in her trembling hands as Sephiroth left the room, his departure soon followed by a swift slam as he closed the front door behind him, making Aerith jump right out of her skin and almost choke on her own sobs.

"I…I don't want to…I won't be able to…please…" the young woman whimpered to the silent shadows, crying for herself and for the tiny life blooming inside her.

0o0o0o0

Leaving Aerith alone with her own sorrow, Sephiroth went to the backyard and sat on the fresh grass, whispering a curse under his breath as he felt like one of the greatest bastards in the Promised Land. In the middle of his frustration, he felt the urge to run back to his bedroom and hold her in his arms, if only to stop her tears from flowing. But, no matter how sweet and endearing she was, he would never be able to act as if the news pleased him. In fact, if he had known of his capability to produce children, he would have made sure nothing like that would have ever happened. But, now that his flesh and blood was slowly but surely growing inside Aerith, it was too late to turn back.

'This is one hell of a day…' the silver haired man thought bitterly, realising how painful it would be for a woman like Aerith to get rid of her child.

'…I guess I'll have new nightmares now. …Better be ready for some sleepless nights'

Maybe, she would never forgive him for asking her to make such a difficult choice. But, she was the one who offered to abort it, wasn't she? Even as he tried to sooth his own mind, he knew he would have told her to do it anyway. Therefore, the fact that she had already thought of the possibility failed to ease his guilt. She only thought about it because she knew him all too well and had been able to anticipate his reaction. No wonder she had been so nervous…

But then, a little, shrieking voice suddenly screamed, cutting right through his train of thoughts.

"Leave me alone!"

Getting annoyed, Sephiroth turned his attention to the source of noise, raising an eyebrow as he saw the little neighbour girl kneeling on the grass in front of her parent's house, sobbing as a frustrated soldier stood behind her. Wishing she would just stop her annoying cries and let him think in peace, but also thankful for the distraction, Sephiroth watched as the soldier grabbed the little girl by the arm, trying to get her to her feet.

"Go back inside!" the soldier ordered as the child squirmed free from his grasp.

"No!" she replied, suddenly remarking Sephiroth's presence and immediately making a run for it.

"Hey!" shouted the annoyed soldier as the girl reached Sephiroth's side and grabbed his coat, hiding herself behind him.

Repressing a curse as the little thing stuck to him like a leech, Sephiroth felt a wave of uneasiness flow through his whole being. The first reason why he hated children was that they were the only beings alive who could make him feel embarrassed for no specific reason.

"What's going on?" he asked the soldier, trying to sound completely cool and detached.

"Her parents are both infected, so I have been ordered to take care of her until her relatives come get her, but they live far from here and cannot be contacted before a few days. But now, she's refusing to listen to me" the other man explained, completely pissed off.

"I see"

"You're scary! I don't want to stay with you!" the child screeched, digging her sticky fingers even deeper in Sephiroth's leather coat.

Amused by the strange irony of her words, the silver haired man chuckled, turning his attention to the loud little thing.

"Don't you think I'm even scarier?" he asked her in a mildly amused tone.

"No, I like you"

Wondering what kind of abnormal child this tiny girl was, Sephiroth frowned, suddenly remembering that she often observed him when he practiced his Katas, her eyes filled with unhidden awe. Then, as he tried to find an efficient way to remove her from him, a woman's voice resonated from behind as Aerith came out of the house, alerted by the shouting.

"What happened?"

Rolling his eyes, the soldier explained the situation again as the child ran to Aerith and wrapped her small arms around the woman's legs, much to Sephiroth's relief.

"Hm, I see…Where do you want to stay, then? Someone needs to be there to take care of you" the flower girl asked in a sweet voice as she knelt by the child's side.

"I wanna stay with you!' the child beamed, and Aerith could have sworn she heard Sephiroth curse under his breath.

'What a strange coincidence…' the young woman thought, getting interested.

"Well, if it's okay with the soldier, I don't see why not" the flower girl giggled, wiping away the tearstains moistening the child's face.

"Alright, I don't care" the man groaned, glad to be free from his curse.

"Good. You don't mind, do you, Seph?" Aerith added in a sugary tone, blinking sweetly at him and clearly showing how much she enjoyed her own little revenge.

"Hmph. Of course not" the silver haired man growled, telling himself that, after all, he was probably the reason why this child's parents had been taken away, so the least he could do was to be…tolerant.

"It's settled, then. Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

"Luna"

"Oh, it's so pretty!" Aerith declared in a childish tone that made Sephiroth flinch.

Having already forgotten her tears and the very existence of the soldier, Luna giggled cheerfully and oh so innocently as Aerith took her hand and led her to their house. As for Sephiroth, he was now a hundred percent certain that he would _not_ sleep for the entire night, or at least, not in Aerith's house.

0o0o0o0o0o

A few hours later, contrarily to what he had previously planned, Sephiroth opened the door silently, careful as to not wake anyone. His feet as light as a cat's, he entered Aerith's house and locked the door behind him, unable to forget Adoria's angry stare. In fact, as he had been quite bored of wandering around town aimlessly, he had decided to pay her a visit, simply because he knew she would still be awake and working in her lab. Also, he somehow liked those conversations he had with her in the middle of the night. But this time…she wasn't as friendly as she normally was.

Removing his boots soundlessly and trying to forget their conversation, he headed to the lounge, noticing a makeshift bed placed in the middle of the wooden floor. Hidden in the soft looking covers slept a little bundle of life, it's tiny thumb stuck in it's mouth. Finding this to be quite a pathetic sight, Sephiroth snorted, wondering how she could be asleep and suck on her own finger at the same time.

But, as he would prefer to be killed in atrocious suffering than to wake the child and endure her relentless cries, Sephiroth left the room quietly and reached the kitchen, wishing to pour himself a glass of orange juice. That done, a piece of paper left on the table attracted his attention and he took a seat, taking the note in his gloved hands. Reading it absentmindedly, Sephiroth sighed as the paper declared them as the caretakers of Luna until her family showed itself. The parents had already been informed and gave their absolute consent.

'Hmph. What are they, crazy? They obviously know Aerith lives with me' the silver haired man thought bitterly.

But, somehow, the fact that they didn't mind leaving their child in his care soothed his mind, making him wonder if, maybe, some people liked him in this holy city. As he thought about it, he wondered when he had begun to think about such trivial matters. Who cares if they liked him or not? If he wanted to, he could crush them all under his thumb and be over with their annoying stares. …Or at least that's what he told himself.

'This child is rather lucky, for if it wasn't for today's intervention, her parents would have infected her…' he reflected as he chased his dark thoughts away, once again hunted by Adoria's words.

According to her, fifty persons had been taken into custody, and at least forty of them were officially infected. Forty, in just a few days…This was certainly alarming, and Adoria knew better than to think he had nothing to do with it. She even allowed herself to search his mind, and maybe learned something accusing.

"_This world is full of spirit energy. The Cetra who died here are watching over us.__ If you try to threaten this world, be certain that they will play tricks on you. Make you see things that were never there, try to play with your mind"_

This simple sentence of hers had been enough to make him feel uneasy, but at least, he now understood why he had an hallucination back then, making him think Aerith was fatally wounded. This scientist woman was very intelligent, and she most likely knew a lot more than what first met the eye.

Sighing as he emptied his glass and carefully placed it in the sink, Sephiroth then went to Aerith's bedroom, unconsciously turning his attention to Luna as he passed by the lounge, remarking that she was now sleeping on her back, her little head surrounded by a mass of ebony curls.

'She's loud, but still, a cute being' he thought before he even had the time to stop himself, wondering where the hell did that come from.

'Hmph…maybe some witches playing tricks on me, again' the silver haired man thought bitterly as he finally entered Aerith's room.

Once he stepped in, Sephiroth caught sight of the flower girl, sleeping in a foetal position as she held a spoiled tissue in her closed palm. Obviously, she had cried herself to sleep.

"_I'm tired now, I'm going home. You should too, and make up for the pain she most likely endured tonight, because of you"_

Again, he heard Adoria's words in his mind, letting out a small sigh as he felt his chest tightening guiltily. He knew that if Aerith possessed even a half of Adoria's straightforwardness and blazing temper, she would have told him things far more venomous, and even more true.

'Why am I feeling like a jerk today…' he wondered, getting annoyed at himself as he quickly undressed before sliding in a pair of cotton pants.

Once he was ready to let sleep's peaceful absolution claim him, Sephiroth slid under the covers and stayed a small distance away from Aerith, who had her back facing him like a cold wall. For some reason, he found himself unable to respond to his urge to hold her close to him, simply staying there, unmoving. For the first time ever, he felt like he had no right to touch her…and feared that, if she woke up, she would push him away.

'Is that how it feels, then? …To deeply hurt a loved one?'

Swallowing hard and mentally cursing at himself for becoming so pathetically weak, Sephiroth forced his limbs to obey him and carefully slid his arms around Aerith's warm body, pulling her as close to him as he could. When he felt her soft skin against his own, Sephiroth let out a contented sigh, immediately relaxing. Closing his eyes, he breathed the sweet scent of her, feeling a pang in his chest as Aerith sighed blissfully in her sleep, quietly enjoying the moment of peace her dreams provided her with.

First, he had killer her, and he now wanted her to kill their unborn child. How ironic…and unfair.

'Forgive me' he whispered, knowing that his words would probably go unheard, but willing to say it anyway.

Then, Sephiroth let his hand slid along Aerith's abdomen, spreading his whole palm below her navel, wondering if his child could already feel the warmth of his skin beyond it's mother's womb. Not that he suddenly wanted to have a child, of course, but…still, the idea almost made him smile.

"_Hojo told me that I was sterile. He even let me see the files, and I am"_

"_Well, I'm pretty sure that you must have been sterile back then, but the fact is, you're very well able to have children now. You died. What I mean is, you are now only a slight part of your old physical self. You lost your Jenova cells, but only what remained of it. In other words, you have been recreated from parts of your old self, and new spirit energy. This is simply how this world has made you capable of producing cute little kids"_

"_Hmph. Am I supposed to be grateful?"_

"_You can think what you want, but be sure to remember this…You're not the same man anymore. Your body has been fragmented, your mind has been too, if only a little. You'll have no choice but to accept it"_

Obviously, Adoria once again didn't fail to make him shut up and reflect about what she tried to tell him. One thing was certain, this woman was very skilled when it came to manipulating the power of words and leaving anyone speechless. But, maybe saying the absolute truth was the best way to counter someone's arguments. With the power to read minds, it was easy for her to know reality in it's most striking form. He knew, for he had been gifted with the same ability, when Jenova was still with him…but now, just as she said, things were different.

Sighing again as he thought nothing good would come out of his tired brain, Sephiroth decided to close his mind and swore to himself that, in the morning, he would show Aerith that he still cared for her, no matter what happened. Maybe he would never want a child, but he would always want _her_.

--------------------------

**A/N: I hope the ****last part wasn't too confusing, I had previously written all of Sephiroth's visit to Adoria's lab, but after re-reading it all I decided to mix their conversation with what was supposed to happen in the beginning of the next chapter. So, tell me what you think, I want any kind of feedback I can possibly get (constructive, of course :P). **


	34. Caught

**A/N: Here's the last chapter before I leave for a few weeks, I probably won't come back until school begins, and I won't have access to a computer. So, maybe the next update will be slow. Well, on with the fic!**

------------------------

Last chapter…

Sighing again as he thought nothing good would come out of his tired brain, Sephiroth decided to close his mind and swore to himself that, in the morning, he would show Aerith that he still cared for her, no matter what happened. Maybe he would never want a child, but he would always want _her_.

-----------------------

The next day…

As it was rather warm for an autumn day, Aerith went to a small park with Luna after sending Sephiroth to Tenzen's shop. Since the man had been, naturally, quarantined as well as the other infected persons, no one was there to take care of the shop, and Aerith obviously couldn't leave Luna alone, neither bring her at work. So, that was how she managed to convince him to take care of work while she stayed with the girl. Besides, just before midday, she had an appointment with Adoria, to extract blood from her and hopefully, create a cure that was now very much needed.

Sitting on a small bench and smiling peacefully as she watched Luna, who was playing in the sand, Aerith absentmindedly rubbed the small plaster stuck to her skin, right where her veins had been perforated by a tiny needle that drank her blood. Sighing, Aerith felt a wave of discouraging confusion flow through her whole being as she thought about her visit to the lab. In fact, after thinking about the matter of aborting her baby, Adoria had finally decided that she refused to do it, on the pretext that she did not want to abort her because she knew that Aerith was not really willing to. Instead, she had proposed to ask one of her co-workers, someone who was supposedly really competent and friendly.

'But, still…I wouldn't feel as much comfortable with someone I don't know personally' the brunette thought sadly, letting her darkened emeralds fall to the ground.

"Look, look!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, thankfully breaking through her train of thoughts.

Immediately putting on her trademark fake smile, Aerith raised her attention to the child, who was happily pointing towards some kind of star shaped thing she drew in the sand. Even if she would never have been able to guess what Luna really wanted to portray, Aerith left the bench and approached her, beaming at how gorgeous her creation was. As for Luna, she giggled happily, her silky raven curls flowing gently behind her small back as she fidgeted restlessly.

Looking at the girl's grey eyes, shining with unhidden innocence, Aerith felt a comfortable feeling of warmth enveloping her heart, transforming her smile into a genuine, sweet curve. Of course she wanted to have children, and now that she was bearing one, the desire had become nearly unbearable. She absolutely _needed_ to give life to her own baby and hold it in her motherly arms, feeling her heart racing happily under her child's comforting little being. And, of all the men she could possibly think of, Sephiroth's face was the one she wanted to see on her child's features. No one else. She would love it if the baby had silky silver hair and mint-green eyes, or inherited any of his perfect traits. Violence and coldness aside, of course.

'But I have to respect his decision. He's concerned by this birth too' she thought in the back of her mind, suddenly remembering something Adoria had told her…

"_He should learn to be selfless, at least once. It's not right for you to be the one who always makes the sacrifices"_

'I can't even find the strength to be true to myself… Gods, where has my spine gone?' the flower girl reflected, sighing again as her expression darkened once more. 'Hmph. Cut by Masamune, I guess. Maybe that's when I lost so much of my courage'

Trying not to burst out in a bitter, sarcastic laugh at her own ironic thoughts, Aerith turned her attention to Luna again, who was now sliding her tiny fingers in the sand, trying to create another 'artistically' weird drawing. As she did so, the brunette frowned as she realised something frighteningly true.

'If I abort my baby, I'll never be able to forgive him for it. It would simply be too much, after all that's happened…'

Trying to fight off the tears that struggled to gather at the corner of her eyes, Aerith swallowed hard, wondering if her love for Sephiroth would be able to even survive this heartbreaking challenge.

But, as she dreadfully imagined the worst case scenarios, Aerith did not notice a presence, hiding somewhere behind her, observing, and calculating.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Kneeling in the brushes, a blonde woman clad in black leather silently observed the flower girl and the raven haired child, putting her gun against her strong shoulder, flipping her cell phone open. After dialling a number, she placed it against her ear, holding the weapon in her other hand.

"Hi" answered a masculine voice.

"It's me, Marilou. I've got the little princess right in my line of fire, and there's no witness in sight." The woman declared in a quiet voice, making sure to avoid alerting her prey.

"Good. Is she alone?"

"No. It seems she is taking care of some child. I'm afraid she won't be by herself for a while"

"Two birds in one stone, then. Though I doubt he cares about the child"

"Right. Shall I bring them both?"

"Yes. Where is the human right now?"

"I've checked, he's currently working at Tenzen's weapon shop. He won't be bothering us for a while" Marilou explained, a twisted smile drawing itself on her lips.

"I expect you to be done in half an hour, then. Don't screw up"

"Of course I won't"

On that note, Marilou hung up, placing her phone back to where she had previously took it, immediately grabbing her gun and loading a weird looking syringe instead of bullets, just before readying herself to aim at her target. Her pale blue eye looking through the visor, a triumphant smile curving her small lips, Marilou aimed at Aerith, waiting for the perfect moment.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile…

As Luna cheerfully showed Aerith her new masterpiece, the brunette smiled sweetly, imagining, for a single moment, her child's features over hers. Already, she wondered what her baby would look like, how sweet or screeching it's voice would be. So, as she imagined the sweet visage of a silver haired child, Aerith realised what she had to do, no matter the consequences.

'I'll keep my baby. Sephiroth can say or do whatever he wants, I won't get an abortion. Or else, I know I'll regret it…'

Her smile growing wider and illuminating her eyes, Aerith took a deep breath, telling herself that she had to be strong, just as she did back then, in Gaia. Never again would she forget her convictions and let anyone do whatever they wanted with her.

'Adoria is absolutely right. I won't sacrifice myself anymore. If Sephiroth can't accept my decision…well, I guess I'll just have to pack up and leave. …I love him with all my heart, but…I can't kill my baby. This would destroy me…and _us_'

Then, just as Aerith made her decision and felt an immense weigh being lifted from her shoulders, Luna suddenly looked behind the flower girl's back, her eyes growing wide as she saw a strange sparkle in the middle of the brushes.

"Miss Aerith, be careful!" she exclaimed, a little too late as the brunette turned around to look behind, just in time to see a sharp needle plunging right in her shoulder blade.

Letting out a strangled gasp as the strange projectile painfully pierced her skin and injected a glowing substance inside her flesh, Aerith was stunned for a moment, swallowing hard. Then, she swiftly removed the needle from her skin, her face twisted in excruciating pain as she took a sharp intake of breath. But, even if she had taken less than two seconds to remove the foreign object, it was already too late. The liquid had already entered her body completely, and just as she dropped the syringe to the ground, the brunette placed a hand on her forehead, feeling dizzy.

"Luna…run, quick…" the flower girl breathed before she fell limply on her right side, her eyelids already struggling to slid down her teary emeralds and allow her to blackout completely.

"Miss Aerith!" the child cried, ignoring her warning and grabbing her shoulder, gently shaking her.

But, the flower girl had already passed out, her eyes firmly closed as her body went slack, showing no reaction to the girl's increasing panic. So, as she vainly tried to reanimate Aerith, Luna failed to notice Marilou approaching her and swiftly pressing a needle in her shoulder, injecting the same poison that now flowed in the brunette's veins.

Then, a moment later, Luna was lying motionless, next to Aerith, and they were soon picked up by strong arms as Marilou, who was built like a small man, carried them piggyback.

'Hmph. This was way too easy' the blonde thought, amused as she left the place, making sure no one witnessed her.

---------------------

A few hours later…

After a long and tiring, boring day at work in a damned shop, Sephiroth went back home, eager to see Aerith and hold her close to him. In fact, before he had fallen asleep last night, he had promised himself to show her how important she was to him. But, as soon as he had tried to approach her, she acted rather coldly, not to mention that when she had woke up and realised he was holding her, she pushed him off, just like he had feared she would. Now, he hoped she had taken the day to let off some steam, and would be a little more easy to approach.

Sliding his key through the keyhole, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, removing his boots on the carpet before closing the door behind him. That done, he went to the kitchen, frowning as nobody seemed to be home.

"…Aerith?" he called, waiting a few seconds and receiving no answer.

'Hm, that's weird…I thought she would be here'

Then, he went to the bedroom, a strange feeling growing in his gut as he realised Aerith was not peacefully asleep with Luna in her arms or anything like that. She really was nowhere to be found. Not that this was really alarming, of course, because he wasn't the kind of guy to get mad if his woman went out without him, but still…something just didn't feel right.

'Maybe she's visiting her family at the hospital' he thought, just before his eyes caught sight of the window, which held a big, round hole in the middle of it.

'What the hell happened here?' he wondered, quickly making his way to the anomaly, bending down on one knee and picking up a huge, heavy brick, discarded on the floor.

Obviously, someone had thrown this inside the room with a precise idea in mind. Frowning, he picked up the piece of paper that was attached to it, a wave of growing panic pumping in his veins as he started reading it, unconsciously holding his breath.

"_If you want to see your woman and the child alive, come to the outskirts of Radiant Garden tomorrow, at two in the afternoon__. Don't inform anyone of that appointment."_

Normally, Sephiroth would have laughed it off and thought it was some kind of stupid joke, but Aerith's absence was utterly undeniable, and, somewhere in the pit of his stomach, Sephiroth felt an uneasiness that made him realise this was very much real.

Aerith was in danger. And, most likely, Luna and the baby were, too. Somehow, even if he had nothing to prove it, Sephiroth knew that they had been kidnapped because of him, and there was no way he was simply going to stand there.

Without loosing a single second, he grabbed his coat and left the room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A few hours later, after going to the hospital and searching every corner of it, stopping every now and then to ask people if they had seen her, Sephiroth went to the city, quickly walking through the streets, his face an unreadable mix of panic, stress and anger. At the hospital, no one had seen her since her appointment with Adoria. Neither Tenzen, her mother or the raven haired scientist had the slightest idea as to where his flower girl might be. Walking around like a man ready to go on a killing spree, Sephiroth searched every corner of every crowded street he could think of, but still, no trace of her.

"Mr. Sephiroth, is something wrong?" a young woman asked him as he bumped into her, too blinded by his frantic heartbeat and absorbed in his search to have noticed her.

"Aerith has disappeared. Have you seen her?" he asked as he lowered his eyes to meets hers.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't…Gods, she's okay, isn't she?" the woman worried, her eyes filled with unhidden concern.

"I don't know" Sephiroth declared, his eyes shining with fury.

"Oh my god, I hope she's ok…If I see her, I promise I'll drop by and inform you"

Eager to continue his search, Sephiroth simply nodded in thanks before striding off, ignoring the worried stares of everyone around who heard the story.

0o0o0o0o0

Later, when the night had fallen upon Radiant Garden for a few hours already, Sephiroth finally resigned himself to return home, worn-out like he just fought a battle against a hundred skilled ninjas. Worrying so much for someone was _tiring_. Letting himself fall on the bed, he let out a heavy sigh, turning around to look at the dreadful broken window, narrowing his eyes as if he was staring at an invisible enemy.

'It's no use. Wherever they took her, I won't be able to find her… I'll have to wait until tomorrow…' the silver haired man thought bitterly, removing his coat in a harsh, frustrated move.

Of course, even if he asked almost everyone in the city if they had seen Aerith, Sephiroth never mentioned too much details, making sure to avoid telling anyone about the appointment. He didn't know who those bastards were, and how many, so maybe they had contacts and he certainly did not want to risk his flower girl's life by doing some kind of dumb mistake. Hell, even the governors did not know anything about Aerith's disappearance. But, since Williem had tried to put him behind bars, Sephiroth had a hard time trusting him, no matter how believable he was.

'If he's got something to do with it, I swear I'll chop him in a thousand pieces and buy a nice, big dog just to feed it with his remains.' The silver haired man thought in the back of his mind, a nice, cold grin drawing itself on his lips as he imagined the scene in his twisted mind.

As for the other governors, he knew their reaction was genuine, but Williem was the most important, the most influent of them all. He could orchestrate something fishy without attracting a single doubt from the others. Then, Sephiroth mentally drew himself a list of suspects, putting Williem on top. Below him was the annoying blonde woman who did not value her life.

As Sephiroth was listing names in his head, little did he know how right he was.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile…

After being knocked-out for the whole day, Aerith opened her eyes slowly, blinking as she tried to see through the unyielding darkness covering the strange, humid place where she was held. Next to her, Luna was sitting in a corner, her face buried in her small hands as she cried softly. Obviously, they had shot her a small quantity, for she seemed to be awake since a while. Frowning as she realised she was lying on some kind of cracked, dusty concrete, Aerith forced her limbs to obey her as she slowly rose to a sitting position, glad to remove her face from the uncomfortable ground.

"…Aerith?" Luna whimpered, finally noticing she had awaken.

"I'm okay, Luna. Come here" the flower girl replied softly, smiling through the shadows as she heard the girl moving and turned around to face the source of noise.

Soon enough, the child wrapped her arms around Aerith's torso, burying her small face in her slightly damp chest. No matter where they were, it smelled stuffy and the air was overly hot and heavy, making them sweat as if they were right under the burning sun of a summer day.

As she held Luna, humming a soothing melody and rocking her gently, Aerith suddenly felt a burning pain coursing through her belly. Gasping for air, the young woman gently but swiftly removed herself from Luna and put both hands below her navel, making soft, painful sounds.

"Ow…" the brunette whimpered, lying back on the ground and curling in a foetal position.

"…What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Luna exclaimed through her tears, starting to panic.

"My…my baby…" Aerith stuttered, warm tears running down her cheeks and rolling on her slightly parted lips, it's saltiness teasing her tongue.

Unsure to understand what was going on, Luna gave in to the growing panic filling her veins, getting to her feet in a swift motion and heading to the iron door, banging at it with her closed fists, a loud noise thundering across the room as she did so.

"Help us!" the child screamed, her own whimpers mingling with Aerith's has she continued slamming on the door.

But, just as she was about to scream again, a strange, white light lit the room as Aerith concentrated on a powerful healing spell. Getting intrigued, Luna knelt by the young woman's side, a tiny hope flowing through her being as she recognized the spell. Then, putting her hands on top of Aerith's, she concentrated as well, wishing to help as much as she could.

Then, a moment later, the light faded slowly and darkness surrounded them again. Lying motionless on the ground, Aerith felt the last of her tears flow down her face, then she smiled, thanking whatever gods existed for being a very strong healer.

"Are you okay?" Luna asked in a worried tone, making Aerith giggle slightly.

"Yes. Thank you"

On that note, Aerith opened her arms to welcome her, and Luna gladly threw herself in her embrace, snuggling against her chest, a contented smile drawing itself on her lips.

"Don't worry. He'll come for us" the flower girl whispered, both for herself, Luna, and the baby she now loved even more.

**A/N: Hm…this chapter was long. I guess I had a lot to say :P. Well, I cut it too, like I did with the last one. I avoid gibing too much details and things because I want the story to progress. So, I hope you liked this chapter, please give me some very appreciated feedback.**


	35. Cooperation

**A/N: Here's an update. I hope you'll like it. School starts in a week, but I think I'll have plenty of time to work on the fic. This chapter is inspired by the new KMFDM cd, which totally rocks our faces off, lol. **

**So, on with the fic.**

-----------------------------

Last chapter…

On that note, Aerith opened her arms to welcome her, and Luna gladly threw herself in her embrace, snuggling against her chest, a contented smile drawing itself on her lips.

"Don't worry. He'll come for us" the flower girl whispered, both for herself, Luna, and the baby she now loved even more.

-----------------------------

Later, bathed by the silver moonlight, Sephiroth shifted restlessly under the covers for the hundredth time. Even if he knew very well that it would be a wise idea to get some rest in preparation for the inevitable battle he would have to fight the next day, Sephiroth was unable to shut his mind off.

Hopelessly, his thoughts kept running around in his mind as he worried too much about Aerith's well being. Ever since he lived in Radiant Garden, never did he sleep in those covers without having her by his side, warm and willing to let him wrap his arms around her whenever he wanted to. But now, she was nowhere to be found, probably being locked somewhere by some kind of freak in need of a kick in the ass…and this was all because of him.

Even if he was unable to explain it himself, as he laid on an empty mattress that was too large even for him, Sephiroth felt like something was missing. Not that he wasn't used to sleep alone… Somehow, her absence made him feel empty. He could not help but to realize the danger his flower girl was in, and that if he did not intervene, death might be one of the fates that awaited her. She would be forever lost, and leave him alone in a world where he did not belong. Without her, his existence in this Cetra land no longer had any meaning.

'I won't lose her' the silver haired man thought, a new determination coursing through his veins.

For his own redemption, and to define his purpose for existence, he needed to recover his dear flower girl and make sure the ones who dared to harm her paid for their impudence. There was no way he would let them get away with it. If they valued their lives in the first place, they should never have kidnapped Aerith simply because they held a grudge against him. Instead, coming to him directly would have, maybe, allowed them to face a less painful punishment. But now…

A mischievous grin drawing itself on his lips as he imagined many original ways of making someone suffer, Sephiroth felt the familiar burning of adrenaline pumping in his blood. Then, as he wondered if Aerith had already been physically hurt, Sephiroth clenched his jaw, knowing she might loose her baby. But, as he thought about it, the silver haired man sighed, unsure if this would relieve him or frustrate him. Because, after thinking about the matter for hours, he finally realised how important this child was for Aerith. Loosing it would devastate her…even if they decided, somehow willingly, to get rid of it.

But, should she abort her baby to fulfill his selfish wish, would Aerith ever be able to look him straight in the eye again? He strongly doubted it. In the past, she lost everything she had because of him. Now, this would be one mistake too many.

Maybe, if he put his mind to it, he would one day get used to the idea of having a child. Now, as he reflected about it, Sephiroth wanted nothing more than to save her before she got a single scratch on her small body, and to live through his whole existence with her, no matter the prices he would have to pay. If allowing her to keep her child would prevent Aerith's love form withering away, then he was willing to put his pride aside and try to accept it. For her.

-------------------

The next day, Sephiroth went to the outskirts of Radiant Garden, just as it was proposed on the abductor's letter. As he reached the rendezvous point, the silver haired man was far from surprised by what awaited him there.

Standing in front of her pathetic band of leather clad warriors, the blonde woman who despised him for some reason shot him a triumphant smile as he approached. Not far behind her stood the head governor of Radiant Garden himself, Williem, surrounded by at least ten soldiers, and one of them was holding Aerith tightly, a knife pressed a little too close to her throat for Sephiroth's taste. As for Luna, she was being held as well, by another one of Williem's dogs, looking at Sephiroth with a pitiful, tear stained face.

Trying to ignore the fear in his dear flower's gorgeous emerald eyes and Luna's terrified figure, Sephiroth took a moment to analyse the situation. He did not know how powerful his enemies were, but one thing was obvious. He was clearly outnumbered. Without a doubt, Marilou and Williem were even more cowardly than he already thought.

"Since I'm in a rather good mood, I'll give you two options." Marilou suddenly declared, taking a confident step towards him.

As for Sephiroth, he simply raised a sarcastic eyebrow, feeling perfectly calm.

"First, you can surrender and admit to have caused the dangerous situation in which our beloved city is now in. You'll be arrested and taken to the town's dungeon until the citizens vote to decide which sentence suits you. Of course, this option guarantees the woman _and_ the child's safety." The blonde explained, taking small, circling steps as she spoke, betraying her restlessness.

"Let me guess…the second option would be to make you beg for your life" Sephiroth replied coldly, his eyes narrowing as he felt a shot of adrenaline electrify his body.

…A reply that was rewarded by Aerith's frightened gasp as her captor pressed his blade even closer to her throat.

"…Not exactly. It sounds more like…the halfling getting gutted and spilling her unworthy blood in front of your agonizing eyes…" Marilou purred, getting too close to him for his own taste as her band of warriors surrounded him.

Keeping his cold, confidant mask firmly in place, Sephiroth stared her down defiantly, staying silent as he tried to find a way to get out of this without being arrested or causing Aerith's death. Should he make a single move to attack, the man keeping Aerith could very well end her life with a single flick of his wrist…and he would not be able to reach her in time to prevent it. But, killing her would be extremely stupid of them, because they would never get away with it. People loved Aerith and would not forgive such an act. So, maybe they bluffed…but maybe not. Sometimes, strong warriors become blinded by hatred and think they can overpower anything. He knew, for he was the same. But this time…he was not going to let overconfidence be his downfall. Obviously, they had planned everything well, in a disgusting, cowardly way.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Adoria noted some calculations on a sheet filled with many numbers and small sentences. For almost ten hours in a row, she had been working on Aerith's blood sample, and she felt like her goal was near…but now, something kept tugging at her mind, an uneasiness she could not define…

Unable to concentrate, Adoria dropped her pen and sighed, her thoughts suddenly flowing towards Aerith. Getting worried, the scientist took a look at her watch as the strange feeling grew inside her, increasing her heartbeat as a wave of unbearable stress invaded her body. Without a doubt, something fishy was happening.

Not waiting another moment, she got to her feet and stored her samples before leaving her lab and locking it. Reaching her locker in the women's locker-room, she put on her normal clothes and left the hospital in a hurry, taking deep breaths to try and calm down, but to no avail. Someone she cared much about was in danger and it wasn't hard to guess who.

Heading to Aerith's house, Adoria knocked hard on the front door, worry filling her sapphire eyes as no one answered. Then, she took her lock pick and struggled to unlock the door, sighing a breath of relief when she heard a comforting click.

Getting inside, her instincts led her to the flower girl's house, in which she found the abductor's note, left on the nightstand by Sephiroth. After reading it, Adoria swallowed hard, making sure she brought her weapons before leaving in a flash, not taking a single moment to think back on it. Her friends were in danger, and she was certainly not going to stand by and watch.

For once, as she ran to the town's exit, Adoria blessed her own psychic powers.

0o0o0o0o

"So, which option suits you best, my friend?" Marilou demanded, looking at Sephiroth with a delighted smile plastered on her lips.

"You won't get away with this! The people will never be on your side!" Aerith exclaimed, unable to believe that Sephiroth was actually hesitating.

But, just as much as she did not want him to fall for their trick, Aerith was relieved to see that, for once, he seemed to realize the danger they were both in, instead of simply obeying to his need for power and pride.

"Oh, but you're wrong. Everyone in town now at least has someone they love who's infected by the alien _he_ brought in here! We _know_ he deliberately infected people when Kitakaze had a relapse…You don't know how many people in this town would like to see him dead, if only to avenge their friends!" Marilou shouted angrily, turning her attention to Aerith.

Struck by the truth staining those words, Aerith swallowed hard, searching Sephiroth gaze, if only to comfort herself by his calm appearance.

"Once he admits to his own culpability, the citizens will gladly send him back to the flames of hell!" the blonde continued, her voice blazing with raged glory.

"I wouldn't bet on that" a feminine voice suddenly declared as Adoria came from behind them, rage tainting her pale figure.

Then, everyone turned their attention to her, surprised. Besides the murderous anger emanating from her whole being, something was not quite right…and it wasn't long for them to notice what it was. Her eyes, normally a cold dark blue, were now shining in a blazing crimson, making her look like a bloodthirsty demon.

"Kill her!" Marilou suddenly screamed, not even trying to hide her fear. "She's dangerous, grab her, quick!"

On that note, Adoria turned her eyes in Aerith's direction, plunging them right in her captor's pupils. Immediately dropping the knife, he let out a sharp gasp of pain and grabbed his head as Aerith freed herself and ran to Luna, smashing her fist on the soldier's nose with surprising strength. Blinded by pain, the man released the child, allowing her to run to her caretaker's welcoming arms as the first sounds of metal clashing against metal were heard.

"Aerith! Go warn the other governors! I don't think they're involved" Adoria shouted, taking in hand a strange weapon made of fifteen blades aligned together in a perfect arc, which looked like a geisha's fan.

Nodding her understanding, the flower girl made a run for it, mentally thanking Adoria for making small work of the men who tried to follow her. As for Sephiroth, he was already busy dealing with Marilou's gang, who seemed to be rather strong.

Once Aerith was out of sight and free from danger, Adoria took care of Williem's soldiers, thoroughly enjoying herself as she played with their weak minds, confusing them and swirling around as they stupidly missed their target and stabbed each other instead.

Moving in a circular pattern with incredible grace and speed, Adoria slashed the few soldiers who were able to resist her mind games to some extent, spilling their blood all around them as she sliced trough their chests, backs, faces…Never giving them any time or occasion to strike back. When Sephiroth looked at her by the corner of his eye, all he could see was a swirling blur of black and red. Even to him, Adoria was deadly.

As for him, he was now boiling with blinding adrenaline, feeling a rush of satisfaction flow through his body every time Masamune came in contact with flesh. It had been too long since he got the chance to enjoy a challenging match, and his opponents were far from inexperienced. Especially Marilou…

Killing a third man, Sephiroth immediately turned around to block an attack from the blonde, who was always trying to catch him off guard. As Marilou retreated backwards, one of her soldiers managed to slash Sephiroth's side, but the man's abnormal reflexes allowed him to react in time, preventing a nasty injury. Kicking the culprit away from him, Sephiroth got away with only a slight cut as two soldiers tried to attack him at the same time. Blocking both of their swords with his outrageously long Katana, Sephiroth smiled as one of them dropped his weapon under the strength of his defence. Freeing Masamune, the silver haired man stabbed the weak soldier right through the chest before removing his blade sadistically, killing him in an excruciatingly painful way.

Meanwhile, Adoria stood in front of Williem, staring him down with bloodthirsty eyes. While Sephiroth seemed to handle his own fight without much of a problem, she decided to take care of the governor herself.

"You'll always deceive me, Adoria." The man deplored. "I should have executed you, back then in Gaia, instead of simply throwing you in a prison"

"And I should have eviscerated you as soon as I got out" the woman replied coldly, encouraged by his provocation.

"You're too kind for that"

On that note, Adoria clenched her jaw and lunged forwards, slashing her deadly weapon trough the air as Williem avoided her blows, but not without luck. She was way faster than he was and he knew it, not to mention that she was now releasing decades of hatred against his person. But, to his greatest relief, he did not feel her tug at his mind. Obviously, she wanted to kill him with her own hands, and gratify herself for not using her powers to facilitate the task. In other words, he was in for one hell of a fight.

Soon enough, Sephiroth killed the last of Marilou's puppets and stood in front of the blonde, who was now his final opponent. But fortunately, the silver haired man was barely hurt, wearing only a small cut on his chest and one on his side. Getting confidant, he looked at her coldly as an evil grin drew itself on his lips.

"You think you've won?" the woman exploded, lunging forwards to attack him with the strength of despair.

Switching from offensive to defensive, the blonde fought with intelligence, avoiding or blocking Sephiroth's blows with some ability. Maybe she was a crazy suicidal woman, but Sephiroth admitted to himself that her fighting style was to be respected. If Adoria hadn't intervened in the first place, things probably would have been far less easy for him.

Then, after a few minutes of restless fighting, Marilou began to show signs of fatigue and concentrated on a powerful Cetra spell. Remembering the way Tenzen had owned him by using magic while he thought he could not, Sephiroth smiled in anticipation as he concentrated as well, ready to set her pathetic leather clad frame on fire. So, before she even had the time to finish her own spell, Marilou let out a surprised gasp as she felt her right shoulder burn intensely.

"You bastard!" she cursed in a strangled cry before falling to her knees, her face red with sweat and suffering.

A second later, Masamune's thin blade found it's way to her neck, brushing against her pulsing skin. Unmoving, Marilou swallowed hard as Sephiroth's spell finally wore off, but she knew the battle was over…and that she obviously lost.

Next to them, Adoria swirled around her opponent in a graceful dance of death, never taking a single blow as she sliced at him a few times, playing with her prey like a teasing tigress. Soon enough, the governor fell to one knee, bleeding profusely from uncountable cuts ripping his body at many different places. Things had been too easy for her, but none of them ever thought he was going to win. After all, he had been right. Adoria's kindness was the only thing that had prevented her from killing him long ago.

Then, as she was going to give the final blow, Aerith arrived with a few curious people and the other governors, who ordered them to stop fighting.

Frozen in place, the four warriors didn't protest when armed guards came to arrest them. After all, once everything would be explained, Adoria and Sephiroth knew, without a doubt, that they would be freed. As for their enemies, they simply knew better than to struggle and worsen their situation.

------------------

The next day, all of Radiant Garden's citizens, with the exception of infected ones, waited in front of the town's manor, anxious to hear the decision of the governors concerning the confusing incident. A few moments ago, it had been announced that Sephiroth and Aerith had been threatened by Marilou and Williem, who conspired to eliminate the silver haired man for selfish reasons. Somehow, the news did not impress anyone, as they knew Williem was not entirely trustworthy, but had nothing to prove it. But now, proofs were far from missing.

"It has just been confirmed that the eruption of infections in Radiant Garden is due to a presence of the Jenova virus in the town's waterway. But, rest assured, the virus could not survive long in such an environment and has already dissipated. We have no proof of it, but it is believed that Marilou or anyone involved with her might have, somehow, gotten a hold of the virus and deliberately infected the water in order to accuse Sephiroth" a governor announced, attracting shocked gasps and febrile whispers from the crowd.

"So, no accusations can be held against Sephiroth, he will be freed this afternoon. Adoria will be released as well. As for Marilou and Williem, they will be imprisoned until their sentence has been decided"

On that note, happy shouts and joyful words emerged from the crowd, warming Aerith's soul as she thought that, maybe, Sephiroth would now be accepted by everyone in the town.

**A/N: Read and review :P. **


	36. Light & Fire

**A/N: I know this chapter is short, nut it had to be this way. The story is slowly but surely getting wrapped up, so stay tuned!**

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Last chapter ...

"So, no accusations can be held against Sephiroth, he will be freed this afternoon. Adoria will be released as well. As for Marilou and Williem, they will be imprisoned until their sentence has been decided"

On that note, happy shouts and joyful words emerged from the crowd, warming Aerith's soul as she thought that, maybe, Sephiroth would now be accepted by everyone in the town.

----------------------

A week later…

Sitting in the backyards of his house, Sephiroth silently admired Aerith as she took care of her garden, a hand placed on top of her slightly rounded belly. Giving her a genuine smile, the silver haired man felt a comfortable warmth flowing through his chest as she smiled back, her beautiful emeralds shining with untainted happiness.

With each day that passed by, she felt more connected to the tiny life evolving inside her, and had a strong feeling that their child would be a girl. Also, just as Sephiroth had guessed, she was almost glowing with pure joy since the day he told her about his decision to keep the baby and accept it as a part of him instead of just another troubling child.

But, there was a line between accepting and learning to deal with an energetic bundle of annoyance. So, he was happy to know it would be a girl, because he thought boys were more difficult to deal with, and Luna was there to give him a little practice. In only a few days, she would be gone with her aunt, and Sephiroth reluctantly admitted to himself that he had gotten used to her.

As for Williem, he was sentenced to be hanged until death for treason and having disturbed the world's peace, while Marilou would be imprisoned for ten years. Obviously, the Cetra really stood their ground when it came to deal with people who looked for trouble. Soon enough, an election would be scheduled to give Radiant Garden a new governor.

After all that happened, his ennemis' own plan had turned against them. Even if Sephiroth really was responsible for the waterway's infection, the case was closed as if he never had anything to do with it. But, in a sense, he wasn't really responsible…at least, that's what he told himself.

Before he was released, the authorities clearly made him understand that if anything like that ever happened again, they would not be so forgiving. So, even if he was cleared of any accusation, Sephiroth knew that the governors were not completely fooled. Another mistake, and he was dead. Period.

"Well, I'm not going to give them an opportunity to get rid of me" he decided in the back of his mind, knowing his life would never be the same from now on.

For once, he needed to let go of his past, and move on. He now lived in a peaceful world with a kind, ivory angel, who would give him a chance to prove to himself that he could be more than an instrument of destruction.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Adoria entered Kitakaze's room, holding a syringe filled with a transparent liquid. For lack of space, the room was now shared by Tenzen, who slept on a bed next to the girl's. Looking at her friends, Adoria sighed sadly, her heart breaking in front of such a troubling sight. While Kitakaze looked like a corpse, Tenzen was no better, his eyes closed and his limbs as still as a dead man's. Both of their bodies were covered with nasty, bloody bruises, and even Adoria had to use all of her strength not to look away.

Taking a few steps towards them, she held her breath as her heels made a small, resonating sound that alerted Tenzen, who opened his eyes in painfully slow motion.

"…Adoria?" he asked in a cracked voice.

Each time she heard him speak like this, the raven haired woman felt a hundred knives stabbing through her chest. Only god knew how high of a price she was ready to pay, only to have her old friend back, exactly like he was before. Tightening her fingers around the syringe, she comforted herself by thinking that, maybe, she held the key to their salvation.

"Yes, it's me. I … I think I did it, Tenzen" she said hesitantly.

"..Did what?" Tenzen asked, blinking as his dulled blue eyes tried to focus on her.

Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she forced a small smile.

"I developed a new remedy. I have to test it first, though…" she began, her voice faltering. "So I came to ask of your approval…"

"Alright, try it on her. She's no better than dead already, so why hesitate…" he groaned, momentarily lighting the flame of Adoria's wrath.

But, just as she was about to show her indignation, the scientist swallowed her anger, taking another breath to calm herself as she realized he did not really mean it. His mind was a total mess, and he couldn't be blamed for his actions. There was a high chance he did not even realise what he was saying.

"Don't say that" she whispered sadly, lowering her eyes to the ground.

"…Sorry" Tenzen apologized, suddenly realising his own words and feeling like the biggest jerk alive, but unable to help it.

Nodding her understanding, Adoria sat beside Kitakaze's bed, preparing the syringe as Tenzen observed her intently.

"If this tentative proves to be a mistake, I want you to forgive me" she pleaded, ready to pierce the girl's skin and inject her with the newly developed cure.

"…Alright"

Feeling his own heartbeat increasing slightly, Tenzen watched as the needle pierced Kitakaze's skin. Lost somewhere in limbo, the girl did not even flinch, paralysed by the stillness of death. The machines and tubes connected to her were the only thing that kept her alive, like a single thread ready to snap any time.

"But even if this works, will she survive?" Tenzen dared to ask.

"…I don't know. But I'm a hundred percent certain that I won't ever be able to develop a better vaccine" Adoria answered truthfully as she removed the needle from the girl's vein.

"So, failure would be our race's death sentence" Tenzen remarked in a calm voice, strangely contrasting with the gravity of his words.

Not wanting to respond anything bad, nor good, Adoria decided to stay silent as she discarded the used needle.

"Did she show any sign of awareness? I mean, reflexes, or anything?" the scientist asked after a moment.

"Well, two or three days ago, I heard her mutter another man's name in her sleep" the man said bitterly.

"Really?" Adoria beamed. This was an answer she never expected to hear. "You should be happy, then…It means she's not so far gone…What was his name?"

"…Zack, I think"

As she never heard of anyone by that name, Adoria simply laughed it off, amused by how perturbed Tenzen was.

"I guess it must be her guardian angel. Don't worry, I don't think she found another lover where she is" the scientist joked, a feeling of warmth enveloping her whole being as Tenzen smiled softly.

---------------

When nightfall came, Luna fell asleep early, giving Aerith some time alone with Sephiroth. So, they went to their own room and closed the door, wishing to make the most out of their little private time.

"Come closer" the silver haired man demanded in a soft whisper as she laid by his side.

Giving him a delighted smile, she did as she was told, snuggling against him and placing her head comfortably on his muscled shoulder.

"Good" Sephiroth breathed as he took her hand and placed a teasing kiss on top of it, looking at her with mischievous, glowing Mako eyes.

Letting out a sigh filled with pure satisfaction, Aerith smiled back as he gently placed her hand on top of his chest, inciting her feathery fingers to trace fine lines along each of his perfectly sculpted abs. Knowing he particularly liked this kind of attention, the flower girl gladly did so, a chill of delightful amusement flowing through her body as he let his guard down completely, becoming more relaxed than a purring feline.

Oh, how she loved him! And now that their problems were resolved, she could not help but to fall for him even more. But still, there was something they had not discussed yet…

"Do you have an idea for our baby's name?" the brunette asked, chuckling as Sephiroth let out a heavy sigh for being drawn out of his trance.

"…Well…I want her to have a name that will make people think about something…bright. Like the sun." he declared, sliding his fingers through Aerith's chestnut mane. "And I want her to remind me of you, at the same time"

"Hm…it's going to be difficult" Aerith pondered, curling an arm around Sephiroth's chest.

"In fact I've already decided" Sephiroth smirked.

Getting interested, Aerith looked him straight in the eye, impatiently waiting for his next words.

"Our daughter should be called…Solarith. She'll be white, and pure, just like her mother. She'll be strong and unfaltering, just like an orb of blazing fire…and just like her father"

As he spoke, Aerith's lips curled in a tentative smile, haunted by the unearthly light of his eyes, which grew stronger with each word. Obviously, he had thought this through, and would never change his mind. But, even if she would have liked to have a word in this, Aerith could only smile in acceptance, knowing it was Sephiroth's way. Just like he said, he never faltered when his decision was made, and she had no intention of changing him.

"Alright, then. It's a great idea. Solarith…" A pause. "Wait, what will be her family name?"

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth let out an exasperated sigh. That, too, was just like him, and it made her smile.

"Does she really need one? …I've never had any and I never needed it"

"Come on!" Aerith giggled, giving him a friendly tap on the shoulder.

"Crescent…was my mother's family name" the silver haired man finally gave in. "But why don't we just give her yours"

"Crescent Gainsborough, then. It's a deal" the brunette giggled, amused as she had her little vengeance for not having the chance to choose the first name.

"Alright, you win. Now, come here" Sephiroth demanded, getting bored of those silly, parental talks.

Then, before Aerith even had the time to react, her lips were captured in a slightly possessive kiss. Smiling under his assault, she grabbed a handful of silver hair and hoped Luna's sleep was a very deep one.

------------------------

**A/N: Reviews are fuel:P**


	37. Cutting ties

**A/N: This is the beginning of the end, so please read everything even the OC parts because they are important **** :P. **

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Last chapter…

Then, before Aerith even had the time to react, her lips were captured in a slightly possessive kiss. Smiling under his assault, she grabbed a handful of silver hair and hoped Luna's sleep was a very deep one.

---------------------

A week later…

Standing between the lifeless walls of the hospital, Tenzen took a glance at his watch, pacing around as he patiently waited for Adoria. Two days passed now since it was officially announced that the raven haired scientist had finally discovered an infallible cure to the Jenova virus. As the days and hours passed by, Kitakaze's health improved greatly, and he himself had been injected with the vaccine. Thanks to that, he was now able to stand up again and think more clearly. Now, without a single doubt, the nightmare was over.

By the end of the week, the authorities planned to have the whole population treated with the remedy, efficiently and permanently eradicating the infection from the surface of the world. Then, an election would be held and the citizens would choose a new governor to replace Williem, who was going to be executed by Adoria herself. To satisfy her sick need for vengeance, she had asked to be the one to pull on the lever that would end his pitiful life. Sometimes, the hidden darkness corrupting her kind heart frightened him.

As he thought about it, the sound of her approaching footsteps was heard and he turned his attention to her graceful form, advancing towards him.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had a few things to take care of" she apologized, giving him a warm smile.

"Don't worry about it" he smiled back, warmed by the spark of life that shone in her dark sapphires.

"Well, we should go now. Follow me"

Nodding, he did as he was told and they entered Kitakaze's new room, where she was being held for observation. Even if she finally awoke from her coma, the girl did not recover most of her natural reflexes and was still trapped in her bed, unmoving. But, at least, the contagion had left her body and her bruises were beginning to heal.

"Hi, Kita" Tenzen greeted, trying his best to keep smiling as his friend's blood-shot eyes slowly turned in his direction.

Now, her previously chocolate irises were discoloured and yellowish, indicating how seriously her body had been damaged by the virus. She would probably have scars as well, everywhere along her small frame, and for the rest of her life. But, no matter how changed scarred she became; he would stand by her side and love her nonetheless.

Not daring to use her cracked, hoarse voice to respond, she simply smiled and nodded, barely feeling the needle that pierced her skin as Adoria injected her with a serum to help the regeneration of her body.

Each time Tenzen came to visit her, he had the urge to reveal his feelings for her, to tell her how devastated he would have been if she died without knowing. But, each time, he stopped himself, knowing her body would not allow her to respond fully. When he told her, he wanted her to smile widely and throw her arms around his neck, allowing him to hold her tightly against him and never let go, to kiss her soft lips and smell the lovely perfume of her dark, silky hair. No matter the time it took for her to fully recover, he was going to wait.

In fact, that was exactly why he had wanted to meet Adoria, and as soon as the examination was over, he left the room and took the occasion to ask her about his decision.

"Tell me…and I want the absolute truth…will she be alright? Will she live through this?" he dared to ask, looking straight in his friend's irises to make sure she could not lie to him.

"Yes, she'll survive. It will take rehabilitation and a lot of care, but she'll make it." The scientist responded honestly, much to the man's greatest relief.

"Good. I can wait, then. When she gets out of this place…I'm going to give her the best surprise she ever got. I'll make sure she smiles like she never did before"

Listening to the passion warming his voice, Adoria smiled contentedly, happy that she was able to realize her greatest wish and destroy Jenova, at the same time allowing her best friends to realize their own. Finally, she achieved the only purpose left in her extended existence.

0o0o0o0o0o

Meanwhile, Aerith and Sephiroth sat in the lounge at Luna's home, as they had been invited by her parents to come for dinner. At first, Sephiroth had protested, but Aerith managed to convince him, by telling him how much it would please Luna. Somehow, for a reason he was very far from understanding, that little slip of a child had come to like him very much, calling him "uncle" simply to laugh straight at his frustrated face. Often, she laid her tiny, raven head on top of Aerith's belly, claiming she could hear Solarith's heartbeat. Of course, he did not believe her, but the flower girl did, obviously. And, as the three of them sat on the couch, the child did just that, grinning as she held unto the flower maiden.

"I'm gonna be Solariss best friend when we grow up!" she exclaimed after getting a "kick in the face" while listening to Aerith's belly.

"Are you sure? She's already trying to kick your ass" Sephiroth mocked.

"Yes, I've already promised her. I'll be there to keep her company, and insult anyone who's trying to annoy her!" the child beamed, sticking her tongue out to irritate him.

"Hmph" Sephiroth grunted, cursing at himself for not being able to hide the slight grin that spread on his lips.

Of course, he didn't like the idea of having Luna around for the next thirty years or more, but he wanted nothing more for her daughter than to have at least one very good friend on which she would be able to count. That, he now realised it, was one of the greatest losses of his own life. But, each time he thought about one day, when Aerith told him Luna probably had a childish crush on him, his blood ran cold and he wished Solarith would choose another friend. When his daughter reached her teens, he would have enough of dealing with her flaring temper without having to endure the hormones of her friend's hot flushes.

'Damn Aerith, I hope you're wrong about that…' he mentally hoped, tearing his eyes as far away as he could from the grinning child.

Of course, Luna would grow up to become a very beautiful young woman, wearing silky black curls cascading down her fragile back, framing her round figure illuminated by clear green eyes. But, she would always be a child to him, and the only woman he ever wanted to approach from now on was Aerith. She was wearing him out enough as it is, and no one would ever be as beautiful and bewitching as her. She was his forever, whether she liked it or not.

0o0o0o0o0

Two days later, Sephiroth stood in his house's backyard, wearing a new outfit made of pure black leather. On the grass next to him lay his old battle wear, as his beloved Masamune was securely sheathed against his right hip. After taking a lot of time thinking about the mistakes he made since he came to Radiant Garden, remembering the moment when he slipped near the path to insanity, he made a decision.

For his own sake, if not for the one of his newly formed family, he had to cut ties to his past as best as he could. In this world, he found peace. Even if he did not quite like it, his sword almost only came in handy when he practiced. In this world, he did not need to fight. When he had fought Marilou and did not cut off her head like he would have normally done, a part of him has realised that he did not _need_ to spill blood anymore. He was free.

Those reasons were why he decided to store his old uniform away, in some place only Aerith would be aware of. Then, when the right moment came, he would give his most beloved and faithful treasure to his daughter. One day, Solarith would be the Masamune's new bearer. Maybe, without knowing that this holy sword ever spilled her own mother's blood, his girl would feel good, holding it in her expert hands. But, his own eyes could no longer ignore the invisible stain spoiling its silver steel.

"Are you sure you want to do this? If you don't change your mind, I really am going to give her your sword" Aerith asked calmly as she reached his side. "And you'll never see your old uniform if I take it now"

"Yes. I already asked Tenzen to make the best sword he ever created, so that I can wield a weapon rivalling Masamune's length and power. I'm positive that he will be up to the task" the silver haired man responded without hesitation. "As for that uniform…well it was about time I got a change, don't you think?"

"Alright, then. But if you ever change your mind…" the flower maiden replied, taking his clothes in her frail hands, frowning as she realised how heavy they were.

"I know, and I won't"

Smiling at him, pride and love illuminating her sweet figure, Aerith nodded slightly and left, taking the last remains of his past with her, ready to hide it and let the flow of time bury their memories, and its dark signification. As her footsteps faded away, Sephiroth's hand found its way to Masamune's hilt. Of course, he knew his ties to his greatest sins still lied by his side, and he should have stored it away, as well. But he just couldn't bear the thought of letting his faithful weapon go. He would keep it until his daughter was old enough to wield it, remembering his past mistakes every time his eyes trailed along its silver blade.

Dark past or not, he just wouldn't be the same without his sword. It was a part of him, just as much as Aerith and his daughter were. As long as he stayed clean…it be would be, too.

0o0o0o0o0

In the hospital, Kitakaze was holding Adoria's arm tightly as she tried to get used to walking again, a task that was giving her some difficulty. But, after surviving to the very end, Kitakaze was not about to give up. She was strongly determined to get out of this damned hospital to smell fresh air again, and this was helping her to move on. Sometimes, when Tenzen came to visit her, she felt a warmth in her chest, reminding her that she still had feelings for him, even if she admitted them long ago and got nothing out of it.

In fact, each time she saw him, he never brought the subject. Maybe he wanted to wait until she got better, and tell her he was sorry but the only thing she would get from him was unconditional friendship. Maybe he did not know what to say, or…he had some plan in mind and waited for his time. But, no matter the answer, she did not want to tire herself by thinking about it. Of course, if he rejected her, she would be sad, and cry, but at least, she was alive.

Right now, the clear, pure Cetra blood flowing through her veins and the healing of her bruised skin were the only things that truly mattered.

0o0o0o0o0

Later that night, Aerith was sitting on their newly acquired couch, her arm encircled with Sephiroth's as they watched a particularly bloody horror movie. As the end of the film approached, the scenes became more and more violent, much to Aerith's dismay. Then, she frowned as a seemingly stupid girl got ripped apart, her entrails gushing down the wound cutting her belly in two. Putting a motherly, instinctive hand on her stomach, she turned her eyes away and took a glance at Sephuiroth's face, only to burst out laughing as she saw to look plastered on his features.

"Good gods will she stop screaming? He should have cut her damned head off already!" the silver haired man spat as the victim's dieing cries resonated through the whole room.

Arching one silver eyebrow as he ignored Aerith's stare, a disapproving look shadowing his figure, Sephiroth watched as another person was savagely eviscerated.

"This isn't even realistic. The director could have forced himself a little"

"Sephiroth…I don't want to know those details" the brunette suddenly declared as she did not feel so amused anymore.

In fact, he was making her quite nauseous.

"What? Oh…I got carried away" he tried to apologize when he finally turned his attention away from the screen to look at her pale, unhappy figure.

Softened by the guilty look touching his face, Aerith allowed a small smile to spread on her lips as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Immediately forgetting about the movie, he muted the television and held her close, knowing that, a few months before, she would probably have cowered in fear if he dared to say such things in front of her.

"Seph...I've been thinking…you know, since you asked me to get rid of your old battle wear and all…" she tried, obviously uncomfortable about what she had to say.

"Yes?"

"Do you think…we should tell Solarith? About our past?"

"Of course not" was his instant answer.

"But, one day, she might ask about how we came to know each other. What will we do, lie?"

"We'll just add beauty to the truth. She does not need to know about Gaia"

On that note, they stayed silent for a moment as the movie came to an end, but neither of them noticed. Raising her eyes to meet his glowing jades, Aerith caressed the tender skin of his neck, enjoying its softness. Everywhere else on his whole body, like every normal man, his skin was a bit rough, so she enjoyed touching this particular part of him, which felt like satin under her frail fingers.

"Alright…I don't want to talk about…a sword in the abdomen…never ever again" the brunette finally decided, swallowing a lump in her throat as she did so.

"Neither do I"

Then, he pulled her closer to his body, cradling her in his arms as she placed her soft cheek against his chiselled chest, closing her eyes gently.

"I love you. It's strange, but I do" she declared after a moment of pure silence, sighing contentedly.

"I understand. I feel the same way"

Feeling her lips curl against his chest, he could not help but to smile as well.

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	38. Sweetness

**A/N: End, part one.**** P.S: Kitakaze is not a teenager. Lol.**

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Last chapter…

"I love you. It's strange, but I do" she declared after a moment of pure silence, sighing contentedly.

"I understand. I feel the same way"

Feeling her lips curl against his chest, he could not help but to smile as well.

-----------------------------

A whole month passed by before the virus was officially annihilated from the surface of the world, and a celebration was held in the city to announce the identity of the new governor, and to emphasize Jenova's complete and final destruction. Also, the party was held on the day Kitakaze would finally be freed from the hospital, so everyone made sure she never heard anything about any kind of celebration. That way, she would have the surprise to be acclaimed by an uncountable number of people from everywhere in the world on her first day out. Not to mention that Tenzen had a little something ready for her…

On the morning of that special day, Aerith took her time choosing what clothes she would be wearing, and finally opted for a long, silky blue dress. But, as winter would show itself in less than a month, she had no choice but to hide it under an elegant, black coat, outfit that Sephiroth, obviously, found rather attractive.

So, at two in the afternoon, the city square was already full of joyful Cetras, waiting for Kitakaze's appearance. In fact, the girl was supposed to be out at three o'clock, and Tenzen, who was sitting in a café with Aerith, Ifalna and Sephiroth, showed incessant signs of growing stress.

"Calm down, it's not like she's going to say no" Sephiroth groaned, getting annoyed.

"Who knows?" Tenzen replied, unconvinced.

Looking at his watch for the hundredth time since the last two minutes, Tenzen frowned as he realised he only had thirty minutes to calm down, or else he would certainly make a fool of himself. Of course, this would amuse Kitakaze and the rest of the audience, but certainly not him.

So, he forced himself to relax, finally succeeding only two minutes before the final showdown.

"I can't wait to see her reaction" Aerith beamed, unconsciously stoking her swollen belly as they walked towards the hospital, joining the rest of the crowd.

"Yes…We haven't seen her smile in a long time" Ifalna approved, trying not to stare at her daughter's gesture.

Of course, the idea of Aerith bearing Sephiroth's child did not please her, but she finally understood that she would have no choice but to believe it, and accept it. With time and a little goodwill, everything would be fine.

Then, when Kitakaze finally stepped out of the hospital's heavy door, accompanied by Adoria, a wave of deafening applause exploded in the cheering crowd, completely taking her by surprise. Looking at them with wide eyes, the girl stayed immobile, unable to believe that so many people had come to greet her.

Next to her, Adoria smiled warmly, but Aerith noticed a strange resignation dulling her sapphire eyes, a detail that did not escape Sephiroth's reptilian gaze either. But, they did not have time to dwell on it as the scientist left Kitakaze's side, allowing Tenzen to take her place.

Reaching his beloved friend's side, Tenzen took a moment to observe the blinding happiness glowing in her eyes, which had regained their normal color, a warm, deep brown reminding him of exquisite chocolate. Luckily for her, Kitakaze's face had been spared by the virus, leaving her skin as white and flawless as before.

Smiling with pure joy, her soft, brown hair flowing gently in the wind, Kitakaze felt her heartbeat growing faster as he took her hand in his, looking at her in a way he never did before.

"Tenzen…" she breathed, already beginning to guess what was coming next.

In his endearing cerulean eyes burned an unfaltering blaze of tender affection, a look she only saw in her dearest dreams…until now.

"Kita…I know we're not even together yet, and I've never confessed my feelings for you but…Since the day you told me you loved me, I realised…I could not imagine my life without you" he began, gathering his courage as joyful, liquid diamonds slowly gathered at the corner of her unbelieving eyes.

"But…I want you to know now that I love you more than my own life, and…I would be the happiest man in the world if you became my wife" he finally dared to say, hoping she could not hear his heart thundering mercilessly against his ribcage.

"Oh…my god…" was her only reply, a trembling whisper escaping her parted lips as she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a powerful embrace, breaking down in blissful tears.

Overwhelmed by the tender scene playing in front of them, the crowd applauded once again. Among the whistles and congratulations, Kitakaze clenched her eyes shut, unable to bear the surcharge of emotions taking over her whole being.

Staying locked in each other's arms for a long moment that seemed like a split second, Kitakaze finally broke their embrace to look him in the eye as sparkling tears died on her moist, pink lips.

"I'm yours, Tenzen…I always was. You didn't even need to ask" she breathed, forgetting everything around them as she lost herself in his bewitching cerulean depths.

A second after those words escaped her lips, she was crushed in another embrace, her lips firmly pressed under his in a passionate, long awaited kiss. Closing her eyes again, Kitakaze felt her knees go weak as her mind finally registered the undeniable reality. Tenzen wanted to marry her! Even in her dreams, she never dared to hope to hear those words from him.

"Lucky girl!" a young woman suddenly exclaimed among the applause, gaining the loud approval of almost every other girl of the same age.

Moved by her sister's obvious love for the man who was now holding her, Aerith placed her head on Sephiroth's shoulder, encircling his arm with her own, a tender smile plastered on her lips.

'I hope she'll be just as happy as I am, and even more, if such a thing is possible' the flower girl thought, knowing Solarith would have a cousin soon enough.

Once they reluctantly broke the kiss, Kitakaze and her husband to be joined the crowd, and were immediately surrounded by beaming girls and women who already wanted to know when they planned to get married.

But, as the girl was quite eager to see her family, she quickly freed herself from them and reached Aerith's side, throwing her arms around her sister's shoulder, embrace that was responded with just as much enthusiasm.

"Gods, I can't wait to see your daughter! She'll be such a beautiful girl" Kitakaze beamed once they let go of each other.

"Of course, and she'll have a pretty godmother"

"What? Me? Wow, it's really my lucky day…" Kitakaze exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You deserve it, after all you've endured" Ifalna smiled, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's back.

Embarrassed by all the attention, Kitakaze chuckled softly, taking a glance at Tenzen, who was still surrounded by an army of females. Judging by the look on his face, one of them was telling him something rather awkward.

"Be careful, Kita, seems like someone's jealous" Aerith joked, poking her sister in the ribs.

"Don't worry, now that I got him, I won't let him go easily" Kitakaze declared, putting a hand on her hips as she tried to sound serious…but couldn't control the smile that tugged at her lips.

"That goes for you too, Seph." The flower girl commented, turning to Sephiroth. "You're mine"

"I think you've misunderstood something, Cetra girl" the silver haired man replied, arching a silver eyebrow.

"Really? And what's that?"

"You're the one who's mine"

Amused as a mischievous smile drew itself on her lips, Aerith took him by the hand and pulled him close, ignoring the disapproving look that momentarily crossed her mother's features. Obviously, Ifalna had taken him seriously and thought he really was _this_ possessive.

0o0o0o0

After an hour of celebration, the crowd gathered once again, this time in the auditorium as the moment to reveal the result of the elections finally arrived. Once everyone was properly seated and stopped talking, a man wearing an elegant tuxedo came to stand on stage, adjusting his microphone as he prepared for the announcement.

"Good day everyone" he began, clearing his throat. "Since we Cetras came to this holy land, we swore to preserve peace at any costs, to avoid any kind of conflict that might disturb our last abode and to ensure our race's survival"

Cut by a wave of whistles, he stopped, waiting for a moment of silence.

"So, on this day, we are reunited here to elect a new governor, a person that we trust with all our souls, and will entrust with the task of leading our society towards eternal peace"

Taking a moment to feel the growing anticipation weighing on the atmosphere, he let his eyes embrace the whole crowd before taking a white, small envelope containing the name of the winner.

"As a member of the Cetra race, I present to you our new leader"

A knife ripped the envelope open.

"…Adoria Makkura"

As the name resonated through the auditorium, Adoria stayed glued to her seat, eyes wide. She did not remember having given her candidacy, in fact, she never did.

"What?" the scientist exclaimed as the crowd applauded once again, cheering her.

"I took it upon myself to propose you as one of the candidates" Sephiroth informed her, a mischievous smile plastered in his lips.

Unable to believe her ears, Adoria looked at Aerith, only to see the same smile on her face, indicating that she had something to do with it as well.

"Of course, our new governor did not know of our desire to elect her, so, she can always refuse…but trust is a gift that is hard to give, and we decided to give it to you, Adoria" the announcer continued, smiling warmly.

Subtly pinching her arm to make sure she wasn't trapped in some kind of weird dream, Adoria swallowed hard as she obviously did not wake up…

"I think you should go on stage and give us a nice speech, governor" Aerith proposed, giving her an encouraging smile.

Knowing she had no better choice but to do just that, the raven haired woman stood on trembling legs, forcing herself to leave her seat and reach the stage, wondering how red her cheeks were.

"Hm…well..I…" she stammered once she got hold of the microphone, immediately silencing the crowd.

Obviously, she already had power over them, and it alone was able to amuse her, allowing her to get a little more confident.

"I don't know what to say, I never expected anything like that…But, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you"

On that note, she marked a pause, giving them time to cheer.

"Even though I don't know anything about politics…I accept your offer, and I hope I'll be up to your expectations"

Ending her speech with a salutation, she failed to notice a familiar face among the crowd, looking at her with contented, yet uneasy jade eyes.

0o0o0o0

At five o'clock, everyone was back in the town's square, talking among each other. Some people were dancing under the music's stirring beat, while others sat around a cup of coffee. As for Aerith and the others, they stood in the middle of the place, surrounded by many people who wanted to congratulate Adoria, Kitakaze or Tenzen, not to mention the ones who wanted to hear about Aerith's baby.

But, as she got a moment to breathe, Adoria noticed a man approaching them, her eyes growing wide again.

"Shinji!" someone suddenly exclaimed as his presence was noticed.

Even as she heard his name, a far memory that resonated in her dreams every night, Adoria still could not believe the sight that now stood in front of her.

"Congratulations, Adoria" Shinji said as he stopped right in front of her.

Swallowing hard, the scientist observed him silently, taking on the sight of him, a tall man wearing nothing else than pure black, his long, raven hair falling down his back like ebony silk.

"Shinji…is that really you?" she wondered, amazed that her voice still managed to work.

Could he really be there, the very same man she had waited for all those years, chasing away any other chance at love?

"Of course…" he responded, averting his eyes for a moment as he obviously had a hard time to sort out his emotions. "I'm sorry for not showing up sooner, but…" he continued, only to be cut by a childish voice.

"Dad!" a little girl with blond hair screamed, running to him, and unconsciously breaking the raven haired woman's heart.

Swallowing his discomfort, Shinji turned to his green eyed daughter.

"Mom's getting impatient!" the child screeched, and no one missed the weary sigh escaping her father's lips.

"Well, she can wait, for once!" he snapped, motioning for the girl to go back to her mother, who stood a few feet away from them, arms crossed over her chest, a frustrated look plastered on her face.

The child gone, he turned his attention back to Adoria, who stood very still, unable to feel anything but emptiness.

"Excuse her, she's…rather energetic." He apologized, feeling like the biggest jerk on the Promised Land.

"It's alright…" Adoria sighed, telling herself that she should have known better than to think _he_ waited for her.

"Well, I…I wanted to see you again" Shinji finally declared, feeling a familiar, yet unwelcome warmth growing in his chest as he eyed the beautiful, sad eyes of the woman standing in front of him.

"I'm glad you did, but it's a little late for that" Adoria snapped before she even had time to realise it, and turned on her heels, wishing nothing else than to go as far away from him as she could.

Receiving a nasty glance from Aerith, Shinji decided it was better for him not to try to stop her. Even if he knew she would not take it easy, he absolutely needed to see her again, at least once, if only to chase away the constant guilt poisoning his whole existence.

0o0o0o0

Later, Sephiroth was sitting at the bar in a small pub, waiting for Aerith and the others to join him. After Shinji's unexpected come back, Adoria had been hard to console, but the flower girl's friendly smile and Kitakaze's healthy figure had been able to overcome her grief.

Then, as the silver haired man wished her lost love would have chosen another day to show up, the man in question took a seat next to him and ordered a drink.

"You're that man who tried to destroy Gaia, am I right?" Shinji suddenly demanded.

"Yes, and how does it concern you?" Sephiroth replied, arching a silver eyebrow.

"Well…I envy you"

"Oh?" Sephiroth mocked.

"You're going to have a child, aren't you?" Shinji continued as the barman handed him his drink. "With a woman you've killed"

Normally, such a statement would have enlightened Sephiroth's wrath, but not this time, as he began to understand where Shinji was going with that.

"Yes, that's right"

"Hm…I wish I had your strength, and Aerith's courage. If I did…maybe I wouldn't have broken Adoria's heart"

"Hmph."

Taking a long sip of his drink, Shinji took a moment to collect his thoughts, taking a glance at the door to make sure his wife wasn't waiting at the entrance, the habitual frustrated look plastered on her face.

"Can I ask you one thing?"

"Maybe" the silver haired man replied, realising that he was not able to pity a man who chose a damned, possessive blond bitch as a replacement for a sweet and beautiful woman like Adoria.

"Tell her I'm sorry"

"No. You can do that yourself"

Unable to hide his deception but understanding Sephiroth's decision, Shinji nodded slightly, then emptied his glass and left, just a moment before Adoria made her entrance with the others, a small smile back to her face.

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**A/N: I want to know your opinion now. Do you want to know the end of Adoria's story and a wrap of everything in another chapter, or you just don't care? Tell me and I'll decide what I'll do. I think I'll write it but well, it still depends on you. **


	39. Fulfilled

**A/N: Here's the last chapter, BUT there's an epilogue coming next, so stay tuned!!!**

**This chapter is very OC centered, because I guess everyone's story has already been wrapped up, at least, almost…the rest will come in the epilogue. But still, read it :P.**

**Oh and by the way…there is a slight ... mature theme in there, but nothing graphic, I assure you, this is rated T after all. **

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Last Chapter…

"Tell her I'm sorry"

"No. You can do that yourself"

Unable to hide his deception but understanding Sephiroth's decision, Shinji nodded slightly, then emptied his glass and left, just a moment before Adoria made her entrance with the others, a small smile back to her face.

---------------------------

The next morning, Adoria awoke early, exiting her house's comfortable warmth just as the sun began to rise slowly among the dark blue heavens, colouring the fluffy clouds with its sleepy, orange hue. Walking up to the high cliff cutting through the large backyard, the young woman stopped to stand at its sharp edge, her calm blue eyes staring at the sea spreading before her like a veil of sparkling, cerulean infinity.

Inhaling a contented breath, Adoria allowed herself to feel the sweet coolness of the morning air filling her warm chest as the calm, almost imperceptible touch of the chilly wind caressed her pale cheeks, gracing them with a slight, rosy hue. Wearing a long, black leather coat covering her body from shoulders to toes, the raven haired woman barely felt the autumnal coldness as her thick, heavy boots crushed the hard ground, sending a few small rocks down the deep precipice.

Just a few steps in front of her leather clad being stood nothing else than nought, her eyes traveling down to see the waves crashing powerfully against dark grey rocks, wet and cold under the water's unrelenting assault. Observing its regular motion, Adoria stretched her frail fingers, trapped in her sticky, raven gloves in an attempt to keep them warm. But, as she did so, a sharp pain ran through her arm, reminding her of the one decision she was still unsure about.

'One step off the edge and the world will seem alright' she thought peacefully, removing one glove to look at the purple bruises staining her skin.

It had been quite a while now since she was infected, and Adoria was amazed that no one ever noticed it. Of course, she never removed her gloves to make sure no one would get infected because of her, even if the cure was completed and ready to be used any time. With the help of a few nurses, she had healed every single person in the town, proud of herself for accomplishing the last thing she ever wanted to accomplish. She had been able to fulfill her last duty, and when the time came to inject herself with the remedy, the raven haired scientist simply turned away and went back home.

But now…things had taken a turn that she absolutely did not expect. Maybe, Sephiroth and Aerith noticed the dulled light of her sapphire eyes, a sharp indication of her calm resignation. That was probably why they decided to try and give her a new reason to grab unto her own existence. Now, she wore on her shoulders alone the duty of keeping this holy world at peace, to make sure no one would ever live through the same injustices as she did. And, after taking a moment to think about it, the young woman realised that the idea truly pleased her. The townspeople, her friends and family, all believed in her.

…And her pride would never allow her to let them down.

Smiling softly, Adoria put her glove back on and moved back a few steps, turning her back on the easy solution she had in mind for quite a while now. In fact, before realisation took hold of her, she had decided that one step down the cliff and towards the hard, sharp rocks below would be a fitting fate for a woman like her, who had nothing left to fight for. That was why she did not heal herself in the first place, as she felt like it was not necessary.

'I always thought they built my house here on purpose, thinking I would drop off that cliff sooner or later. I was sure that they were amazed that I did not do it already…' she reminded herself, sighing softly, discouraged by her own cowardice.

Then, she turned her back on the precipice, her eyes sparkling with renewed determination.

'I'll never let my past win over me again' she fiercely decided, ready to leave for the hospital and to remove Jenova's disgusting legacy from her pure Cetra blood.

But, just as she took her first step, the young woman stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide. In front of her, standing under a tree spreading its multicoloured leaves on the cold ground was Shinji, looking at her, an uneasy expression shadowing his handsome features.

"…What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your wife?" the scientist asked calmly, wondering how long he had been standing there, watching her.

"My wife? I never said she is. In fact…I'm trying to get divorced for quite a while now, so I was able to convince her to get off my back for once, and stayed in the town for the night" he explained, reassured by the slight, amused smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Why did you bother?" Adoria replied, turning her eyes away and readying herself to leave the place.

But, as she passed by him, Shinji placed a gentle hand on her forearm, inciting her to stop and look him in the eye.

"…I couldn't leave like that, without talking to you. …It's been a while since I wanted to see you again…but …she just wouldn't let me" the man said, trying to justify himself for all the pain he knew he caused her.

Holding his gaze, Adoria tried not to let her feelings for him overwhelm her and sighed softly as she admitted to herself that the woman he was with seemed to be quite jealous and possessive, indeed.

"Well, if you wanted to meet me again so badly, why did you find yourself another woman? Now let me be and try to fool someone else, if it amuses you" the raven haired woman spat, trying once again to get passed him and go on with her day.

"Adoria, please! …" Shinji exclaimed, giving her a pained look that always managed, when she was still his wife, to make her melt in a wave of blissful love.

But somehow, this only managed to enlighten her wrath.

"Let me be, Shinji. After so many years spent thinking about the things I would say if I met you, now that you're in front of me, I realise that there's nothing left for me to tell" Adoria spat sharply, nodding to him in polite salutation, like she would have done with a stranger.

Then, without a single glance, she turned her back on him and walked away, a peaceful expression softening her ethereal features.

0o0o0o0o0o0

An hour later, while Adoria busied herself in her lab and healed the last of her bruises, Aerith stood in her garden, smiling as Kitakaze joined her, radiating with blinding happiness.

"You look like a very, very happy girl this morning" the flower maiden remarked, grinning. "Now that I think about it, you never did come out of Tenzen's home after I saw you disappear behind his door"

"You bet I didn't!" her sister exclaimed cheerfully, her cheeks taking on a pink hue. "And I'm telling you, he's a god!"

Snickering, the girls sat on a bench, ready to gossip.

"Really? But I'm sure he can't beat S-" Aerith began, never finishing her sentence as the man she was about to speak of appeared next to them, his sword laying on his left shoulder as he looked at them, arching a silver eyebrow.

"What's with all the giggles?" he growled, having missed the first part of the conversation.

"Oh nothing, we were just talking about…hum…swords" Aerith replied, blushing in embarrassment as Kitakaze couldn't help herself and burst out laughing, covering her face with her hands.

"What kind of swords?" the silver haired man wondered, getting suspicious.

There was no way Aerith would be talking about weapons…and why was her sister chocking on her own laughter?

"Yours"

Now, both Aerith and Kitakaze were red with hilarity, avoiding his gaze as they seemed ready to burst, their ribs stretching painfully under their unbearable amusement.

Wondering briefly if they were still sane, the silver haired man simply shrugged and went away to practice his katas, not daring to ask any more questions.

Then, the girl's laughter finally dimmed and died slowly, allowing them to drop the subject, in case another man came by and caught them in the middle of dirty talk.

"Speaking of men…it reminds me." Kitakaze began once they got serious again. "When I was dying, I met…someone"

"Who?"

"A man you know well. He was trapped in limbo, lost between your Planet's Lifestream and this world's."

Wondering who that could be, Aerith frowned, searching her memories...her face soon enlightening with realisation.

"Zack! You met Zack, that's it?" she exclaimed, beaming with hope.

"Yes, a tall, handsome man with spiky black hair. He's such a flirt, but, really, a very good guy"

But, as her sister's words finally registered in her mind, Aerith's smile slowly faded away to be replaced by unhidden worry.

"Kita…what do you mean, he was …trapped? In limbo?"

"You already know how Sephiroth managed to reach this world. He manipulated Zack's spirit…but he never realised that he dragged him along"

"…But Zack was never able to cross the portal between his world and ours" Aerith guessed, getting a positive nod from her sister.

"That's right, and he stayed locked in between. That's how I met him, when I was in a coma. He helped me to hold on to your voice, when you came to visit me. He never allowed me to forget that you needed me to survive, or else you would find a way to blame yourself" Kitakaze explained, smiling softly as she remembered Zack's cocky grin.

Moved, Aerith smiled as well, a comfortable warmth enveloping her whole being.

"In the end, though, he figured out _he_ had to let you go, or else he would never find the road to his own world. He wanted to stay here, so he could watch over you…"

"…Gods…I…wish I had known" the flower girl whispered, lowering her eyes to the ground.

"It's alright. He asked me to tell you that he was happy. For you and for Sephiroth. When he realised that Seph would take care of you like no one else ever could, he finally found his way back"

Then, as she finished her sentence, Kitakaze turned her eyes to look at Aerith's face, noticing a heavy sadness shadowing her features.

"I…I'm sorry. I just thought you should know…" the girl apologized, putting a gentle hand on her sister's warm shoulder.

"No, …I'm glad. I really am…but I wish I could thank him" the flower girl regretted, unresisting as Kitakaze pulled her in a friendly embrace.

"Don't worry, he knows. I told him for you"

A contented smile finding its way back to her pale figure, Aerith nodded calmly.

Now, Zack had found eternal peace and because of him, her sister had been able to fight against death and tear herself out of lethargy, allowing her to meet the arms of the man she loved. On top of that, her baby was growing into a healthy child day by day, filling her heart with unbearable warmth, enlightened by Sephiroth's blissful embrace, turning her whole existence into a burst of blazing passion.

Now, she could do nothing more than to smile in pure joy, holding her sister in a loose, soft embrace as she blessed life's holy lightness.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Later, Adoria went back home, trying to ignore the tickling sensation teasing her skin as her bruises slowly healed. But, as she was about to unlock the front door, the raven haired woman thought better of it and went to the backyard, sighing as she saw Shinji, who was now sitting under the tree, his tall, black-clad body contrasting with the joyfully coloured leaves surrounding him.

"Shinji…I thought I told you to leave" the woman breathed exasperatedly, knowing she would not be able to stand being near him any longer without falling to her knees like a stupid school girl.

Standing up, the man turned to face her, his cheeks red from being out there in the cold for such a long time.

"You'll have to drag me out of here by yourself, because I'm staying until you accept to listen to me" the man protested firmly, taking a step towards her and taking her gloved hand in his own.

The previous day, when his ex-wife had tried to force him to leave town with her, he had gone to the bar to have a talk with Sephiroth, a man he now greatly respected for making him realise how much of a coward he was.

At first, he had talked to him because he wanted to make sure Adoria would get his message if he was compelled to leave town. But, when the ex-general promptly refused, he had no choice but to decide which solution was the most important to him.

Talking to Adoria, or following his ex just to make his daughter happy?

Now, as he stood before her, feeling cold and guilty, it was obvious as to which decision he made. And, after facing his accumulated frustration, he was sure that the manipulative blonde would leave him alone, once and for all.

"Alright, talk, but make it fast, I have better things to do" Adora finally muttered, turning her eyes away.

"…I'm sorry" he said softly, hurt by the way she constantly pushed him away, no matter how hard he tried.

But, the worst was that he knew he deserved it.

Cursing at herself for being affected by his words, Adoria raised her eyes to meet his, already feeling like her legs would soon melt under her weight and send her right into his warm arms. But, her pride and frustration refused to allow such a thing to happen and she clenched her jaw, taking a step back to put some distance between them.

"Forgive me for running away…for not hurrying here as soon as we woke up in this world, for not coming to you…forgive me for being such an ass…"

Even if she tried hard not to care about the grief saddening his deep, rich voice, Adoria felt a tiny smile tugging at her lips as a familiar warmth slowly invaded her chest.

"I want you to know that the only thing I don't regret now is my daughter." He continued, pausing a moment to gather his courage. "It seems like no matter how hard I try to wake up from it, my dreams of you never seem to fade away, I see you in my memories, in my thoughts…I ran way, I know, but…even if I did, I never stopped loving you"

"…I want to believe you, Shinji…but…" Adoria sighed, wishing to get this over with. "I could have done the same and ran away with another man, fearing that you would never come back to me. I had many chances to do so and yet, I never did. I stayed true to my feelings"

"…Adoria, just read my mind if you want proof…" he said, his voice low as he thought that, maybe, he never deserved her in the first place.

What could he ever give to a wonderful woman like her?

"I don't need to use my powers to know of much I cried because of you" she replied in a soft, sad voice, lowering her eyes to the ground as if to make sure she would not succumb to her own curiosity.

"You're right…The only thing I ever offered to you is suffering…But now, I'll give you the chance to forget me" he sighed, his voice barely audible as he finally gave up and made his way towards the street, ready to leave her alone, once and for all.

But, as he passed next to her, he was stopped by a gentle hand touching his own. Turning his dulled jade eyes towards her brilliant sapphire pools, he felt the urge to hold her against his body, if only to see those very same eyes warmed by unhidden love and passion, just like they did in the past, and in his dreams.

"All those years ago, you offered me happiness. For that, I forgive you" she corrected him, a sweet yet sad smile drawing itself on her lips as she let go of his hand and nodded him goodbye.

Then, even if her heart screamed at her to throw her arms around his neck and bury her face in his chest, Adoria forced herself to reach the front door without looking back. Taking her keys in her trembling hands, the raven haired woman clenched her eyes shut as she heard his footsteps getting farther and farther from her…until silence cursed her with heavy emptiness.

0o0o0o0

That night, Adoria turned under her black covers for the hundredth time since the last hour, breathing a heavy sigh. Alone in the thick darkness enveloping her large, silent room, she was unable to find sleep, and in times like this, her mind had a frustrating tendency to produce countless reflections.

After the events of the day, it was obvious as to what was bothering her at the moment. Even if she tried not to, she couldn't help but wonder if _he_ was still in town, if he had problems sleeping, just like she did…or if he thought about her just as much as she thought about him…And, to worsen her situation, the young woman continuously reminded herself of how beautiful his eyes were, just like she saw them in her most pleasant dreams…

With each minute that passed by, her _need_ of him grew stronger, her fingers tingling to slide along his silky raven hair, her skin aching for his long lost touch…A need that was fuelled by the fact that he still loved her, a declaration that made her realise how close she had been to feel his warm embrace once again, to crush his lips against hers and inhale the endearing scent of him. For years, she had dreamt of his return, and now…

'I need to cure myself of him' she thought sharply, quickly climbing down her bed and dressing up.

If he was still in town, she would find him. It was obvious to her now that she would never forget him with only a touch of stubbornness and goodwill. She needed to remove him from under her skin, to answer to her own desires and get over it.

Once she was properly dressed, the young woman quickly grabbed her coat and put it on before exiting the house, locking the door firmly and heading to the center of the city. Knowing there was a high chance for him to be staying at the inn, she went to the building in question and entered it, taking a glance at the innkeeper, who simply smiled at her.

"His room is 209" the old woman informed her, not needing any explanation as to why Adoria decided to burst into a motel in the middle of the night.

Nodding politely, the raven haired woman immediately went up the stairs and to the room in question, knocking twice before the door opened slightly, revealing the very awake; and surprised figure of his jade eyed obsession.

"Adoria? What-" he began, getting cut by her hand pushing the door wide open, a moment before she let herself inside and kicked it closed.

Then, her eyes sparkling with something unholy, she took a step towards him and placed a hand behind his strong neck, pulling him close in a quick, almost harsh motion. Knowing that there was no need for words, she claimed his lips in a deep, passionate kiss that didn't fail to catch him off guard.

But, after a few seconds of paralysing surprise, the man finally relaxed and kissed her back, encircling her frail shoulders with his muscled arms, his heart beating at a faster pace than he thought it capable of.

Just a few moments before, he was thinking about her, wondering if he could have said anything to make her understand him…but never did he hope that he would be able to feel her warm body against his, and to taste her soft, fleshy lips again.

Then, before he knew it, her coat fell to the floor and she pushed him towards the bed, her eyes closed as they barely had a moment to breathe, lost in a reality that was so much like the never-ending dreams plaguing their every nights. But, even as he lost his sense of rationality to her blissful embrace, Shinji felt something tug at the corner of his mind, informing him that Adoria had taken him up on his offer and was now invading his thoughts.

Uncaring about his mental violation, the man kissed her neck, sublimated by happiness as she threw her head back to give him more space and wrapped a long, shapely leg around his waist, pulling him even closer to her boiling body.

Smiling softly as she revelled in the sincere love invading his mind, Adoria thought that, even if it was only for one moment, she needed to be with him again. She had waited for this moment for an eternity, and was glad to have decided not to let it pass. For now, she allowed herself to be happy.

0o0o0o0

Sometime later, Adoria laid on the mattress, the thin covers placed carelessly on her waist, showing her bare back and legs. Behind her, her lover observed the perfection revealing itself to him only, his eyes filled with blind adoration.

"Adoria…" he whispered, putting a gentle hand on her warm shoulder.

"Hm…" she breathed sleepily, her mind slowly drifting off.

"I think I'll come to live in this city. I need a new home, anyway…" he decided, whishing she would turn around to face him and grant him with one of her unearthly smiles.

"…Do as you wish…" she muttered softly, not caring about anything else but sleep's tender embrace.

Breathing a deceived sigh, the man decided to let her be and put his arm around her, pulling her close.

A few seconds later, he felt her muscles relax completely as her breathing became a soft, regular humming. But, as he was still overwhelmed by a blissful feeling of lightness and warmth, Shinji kept his eyes open, admiring her, and knowing it would be long before sleep succeeded in claiming him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next morning, Adoria left quietly, making sure that she was nowhere to be found when he finally awoke. As she walked calmly through the empty streets, greeted by the rising sun and the freshness of the wind, the young woman felt truly at peace with herself. A few hours ago, she had reacted promptly, answering to an impulsion like she often did, and now, she knew it was the right thing for her to do.

Heading back home, she took a long, warm shower, her mind devoid of any thoughts as she simply relaxed under the sparkling liquid. Then, she readied herself for her first day as the new governor of Radiant Garden, suddenly remembering Shinji's words.

If he truly decided to move in the city, well, he was welcome to do so. No one, and certainly not her, would stop him. It was his choice, and Adoria had no intention to try and influence his decision. But, she wasn't sure of what she would make of their relationship. Maybe she would let him try to prove himself to her.

But for now, she knew one thing: never before did she feel so fulfilled.

-----------------------------

**A/N: Ok, here's what I would like you to do: Tell me if there's still something you would like to see (or should I say, read). ****Then I can make everyone happy in the next (and very last) chapter. **

**So…review and help me give you a nice, ribbon tied ending !**


	40. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and m****y original characters. The rest belongs to SquareEnix. **

**AN : This is the very last chapter for this story. ****For those who missed the FFVII characters, here they come (at least, two of them :P) **

**Five**** years later…**

------------------------

Below the starlit heavens, the city of Edge slept, its streets empty and calm as a slight breeze caressed the tall, dark buildings. Wrapped in soft, warm covers, every citizen slumbered peacefully, and Cloud was no different. Lying on a smooth mattress, a muscular arm draped around Tifa's voluptuous waist, the man dreamt of a wide, deserted white beach.

Behind closed eyelids, the man stood motionless, his boots crushing the smooth, pale sand as he looked around, noticing a small girl whose hands held a small flower, ivory petals adorning its vivid, bright green stem. Under the veil of foggy white light engulfing the shore, her tiny form appeared slightly blurred to his intrigued eyes. Nonetheless, the swordsman found himself rather puzzled, his gaze falling to the silky strands of shining silver hair dancing in front of her forehead like a moonlit curtain.

Unable to clearly picture her face, the man attempted a step forward, only to realize that his body stubbornly refused to grant him such a simple request. Frozen in place, the blond sighed softly, his glowing blue eyes drifting to her frail hands. Unaware of his constant stare, the child dug a finger in the silky sand before tucking the stem in the newly created hole. With her head bowed down slightly, he barely distinguished her pout as the flower fell to the side, refusing to stand firmly among the fine grains of smooth sand.

'Who is this child?' the man wondered, barely noticing a lean figure approaching from behind her.

Confused, the blond reminded himself that this was all a dream as the silhouette became clearer, revealing a frail woman clad in a gorgeous, pale blue dress fitting her curves perfectly. His eyes large with recognition, Cloud felt his heartbeat rising as the smiling maiden knelt by the silver haired cherub's side, a curtain of curled chestnut hair falling down her back and enhancing her already magnificent beauty.

Once again, his feet felt the urge to reach out to her, but to no avail.

Then, the woman raised her smiling emerald eyes to meet his sapphire orbs, her lips curling with amusement as she saw his face; a look of pure bewilderment. Taking the girl's tiny hand in hers and gracefully standing up, the maiden bowed down to whisper something, inciting the child to raise her own glowing green eyes to meet his unbelieving sapphires. Finally able see her childish, yet intelligent figure, Cloud made a silent gasp, resisting the urge to pinch himself.

That little girl, with her pure white skin, willowy frame and bright jade eyes shining with the Lifestream's purest glow, was the feminine replica of a man he once condemned to become a mere memory, a nightmare faded into the past. At this exact moment, he knew that this, somehow, wasn't simply a night-time illusion. The girl was truly there, standing besides his most cherished memory, a flower girl from the slums; now blossomed in an unearthly woman.

Soon enough, though, the child made a sour face and wrapped her small arms around Aerith's legs in a protective grip.

"Hey! Why are you staring at us? Mom's already taken!" the girl suddenly exclaimed in a firm voice, breaking his train of thoughts.

"Be gentle, Solarith" the mother giggled, softly stroking her child's silky silver mane.

"She's right, Aerith. No one looks at my wife like this, except myself" dictated a dark, male voice tainted with hidden amusement as a tall, black clad man came to stand by the woman's side, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist.

"Oh, really? I don't recall marrying you" Aerith grinned, looking up to meet the silver haired man's Mako orbs.

Entertained, the man actually _smiled_, much to Cloud's astonishment.

Then, realisation slowly dawned on him and the blond could do nothing more than stare, eyes wide with shock and…contentment. Never did he forget the last time he ever saw her, neither did her parting smile ever left his mind.

A crumbling mask to hide her own despair. A smile that never reached her eyes.

But now, as she stood in the arm of her own nemesis, her whole being radiated with glowing fulfillment, her holy emeralds sparkling with the unfaltering light of her bewitching smile.

Maybe, this was what she needed to be able to move on. Maybe, Sephiroth's redemption was the only way for her to find her own salvation.

Somehow, Cloud realized, they found a way to be united through life instead of death, and what he witnessed at this very moment was a subliminal vision of another world's materiality. He knew it was real, even if his lips refused to produce the words echoing in his mind, even if his feet were strongly anchored to the ground, preventing him from reaching out to his long lost friend and take a closer look at her daughter's angelic figure.

"See? …I finally found my Promised Land" Aerith whispered sweetly, her voice an harmonious melody as his dream slowly faded away, leaving him with a feel of lightness as he slowly awoke to the welcoming warmth of his black haired muse.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Mother!" a high-pitched voice suddenly shouted, followed by two small feet jumping on the king sized mattress Aerith currently slept on.

"…What?" the slumbering woman groaned, burying her face in a pillow.

"Wake up!" giggled the voice before its owner started jumping on the mattress, her tiny frame bouncing happily. "I wanna go play with Nozomi and Yashamaru!"

"Just go and leave us alone before I get mad" Sephiroth growled, pulling Aerith closer to his body.

With a triumphant giggle, the child jumped down the bed and unto the floor, making more noise. As if her parents weren't annoyed enough already, she ran out of their room and down the stairs before storming out of the house, slamming the door shut.

"She just loves fuelling my wrath, doesn't she" Sephiroth snarled, already well awake.

"That's what you get for being just like her…" his lover retorted with a teasing smile.

"Hmph. So, it's my fault"

"Of course it is" Aerith yawned, before placing a chaste kiss on his bare collarbone.

Unable to help but grin at her statement, Sephiroth mentally admitted to himself that his daughter indeed took after him. Not that he would say it out loud, but he was actually proud of it.

"Hey. Did you have a weird dream tonight?" he suddenly asked, a piece of remembrance flashing through his mind.

"Dream, you say? Nope." Aerith responded, her eyes glistening with mischief.

Knowing her well enough to realise he was being teased; Sephiroth smirked and pulled her close, thinking back on the strange illusion that had invaded his slumber.

Somehow, his Cetra girl managed to reach out to her lost friend, and he sincerely admitted to himself that seeing Cloud failed to awaken any kind of ill feelings inside him. Surely, Sephiroth wasn't going to say it out loud, but the blond did not matter anymore. He had Aerith and couldn't care less about the effect it could have on his former enemy.

Finally, he was free from his past, free from any regrets.

---------------

**A/N: It's over! Thanks to everyone who followed the whole story and encouraged me with appreciated reviews. **

**Now, if it's not too much to ask, I would like everyone to tell me what you thought of the story in general (and of this last chapter of course!). Come on, this is the last chapter so if you've never reviewed before or anything, it's the last time to do it ! **

**P.S: I had an idea for a sequel. I don't think I'll ever write it, but who knows, I may listen to suggestions. It would be the story of a twenty-two years old Solarith who learns the truth about her parents. **

**So…Until next time !!**


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